Washustein: or the Modern Mad Scientist
by Galaxy1001D
Summary: The classic tale of the monster called Washustein, and the rebellious daughter she created with her own genius!
1. The Loquacious Castaway

The curtains blocked the stage from view. When a diminutive, redheaded young woman stepped through the curtains the stage was still hidden. The green-eyed carrot top was only four feet tall, but her hair was arranged in a wild ponytail to add at least four inches more height. She was dressed in a somber Victorian dress complete with cameo brooch at her throat. She held a fan that she unfolded in front of her mouth to peer evilly at her audience. After a dramatic pause, she folded her fan with a snap and smiled a predatory grin.

"Ladies and gentlemen," her voice seemed strangely loud after the deafening silence. "The story that follows may scare you. It may even terrify you. We ask that pregnant women, those with heart problems and others with weak constitutions please excuse yourselves at this time. No one will think less of you, and we ask that the ladies in the audience please refrain from screaming during the narrative."

"What about the men?" came a call from the audience.

"What?" the redhead blinked in confusion.

"What about the men in the audience, Washu?" asked a tall Japanese man with broad shoulders, eyeglasses, and a pencil-thin mustache. "Are they allowed to scream if it gets too scary?"

"Geeze, Nobuyuki, grow a pair!" Washu snapped irritably. "Sheesh! Ya ought'a be ashamed!" She closed her eyes, cleared her throat, and unfolded her fan in front of her chest. Then she drew the fan before her mouth again and hissed evilly. "And now, on with the show…heh-heh-heh…"

_Galaxy 1001D presents:_

**Washustein; or the Modern Mad Scientist**

Starring Washu Hakubi as Doctor Washu Fitzgerald von Washustein

_Tenchi Muyo and all related characters are © AIC/Pioneer/Genon/Funimation. This story is written solely for entertainment and is not intended to make a profit in any way._

_Based on "Frankenstein__; or, the Modern Prometheus__" created by Mary Shelly_

_And "Tenchi Muyo" created by Masaki Kajishima_

_Chapter One: The Loquacious Castaway_

It was a dark and stormy night. Actually, not really. There wasn't any wind. It was foggy though, and cold. Mindnumblingly cold. So cold that the private parts of the seamen aboard the _S.S. Pioneer_ shrunk to the size of peanuts and hid themselves within the anterior base of the abdomen for warmth. It was so cold that one could pour boiling water out of a coffeepot and witness chunks of ice hitting the ground. It was so cold that snowmen were tempted to start a fire to keep warm.

The _Pioneer _was surrounded by ice. Almost completely surrounded by ice that closed on the ship from all sides. In addition the thick fog obscured the stark and white scenery, denying the crew a view of the horizon.

Captain Norbert "Nobuyuki" Walton was starting to believe that attempting to be the first man to reach the North Pole was not the smartest thing in the world to do. He felt himself madder than King George the Third who had been too crazy to rule Great Britain, allowing his son George the Fourth to become regent in his place. He felt himself madder than Madman McAllister, first place winner of last year's 'Mr. Madman' competition. What had he been thinking? He had let the idea of fame and fortune and a place in the history books blind him to the cold hard truth that the North Pole is surrounded by cold hard ice.

The worst part had to be the fact that this far away from civilization there wasn't a woman around for hundreds of miles. Instead miserable and scruffy sailors surrounded him. There wasn't even a cabin boy that was feminine enough to let him pretend there was a woman on board. The _Pioneer_'s cabin boy was nicknamed 'Hairy Jack', and the most effeminate person aboard was known as 'Stinky Bill.' Pretty soon Nobuyuki wasn't even interested in the more biblical activities a man could pursue with a woman. Just hearing a woman's voice or smelling her perfume would be enough to get through another week.

"Hey! Hey you!" a nasal yet feminine voice called out. Nobuyuki and his surprised men saw a tiny figure on a dogsled gesturing at them. "Hey! Let me up!" she cried. "The ice is cracking! My dog team and I are going to freeze to death and drown if you don't let us up!"

"Uh, bring the lady and her dog team on board," Nobuyuki hesitantly ordered. There was no way that figure on the ice could really be a woman, but then there was no way anybody could be out here, for if his calculations were correct they were hundreds of miles from land.

When she came on board, her actual form was hard to see. Her body was concealed in layers of furs and warm clothing that made her actual shape a mystery. She asked for a room to change in and the captain graciously offered her his cabin. He did this for two reasons. First, he had the best cabin on the ship and his chivalrous nature would never give a woman a substandard room. Secondly, he knew where the peephole that would allow him to spy on her was hidden.

As Nobuyuki put his eye against the knothole in the wood he was rewarded to see his passenger remove her wet clothing. That is at first. As she removed layer after layer of clothing her rotund form got smaller and slimmer. Pretty soon, the captain began to worry if there would be anything but a gangly two-foot tall skeleton under all those furs. Thankfully, the woman stopped shrinking at about four feet. Her luxurious hair was a beautiful shade of red, and the girl's unlined face was quite young and comely. Her slender body was underdeveloped and boyish, but her radiant pink skin and brilliant green eyes made her very attractive. After spending over a month aboard a ship filled with hairy and smelly sailors, the little lovely in his cabin was the most beautiful girl he had ever seen.

When he worked up his courage he knocked on the door and asked if he could come in.

"Come in," came the nasal answer. "I'm decent."

When the Nobuyuki entered the room, the redhead was dressed in clothing more appropriate for a man than a woman, but given the rough and tumble environment of life aboard a ship he really couldn't blame her. Her long red hair was in wild curls but most of it was bound back in a luxurious ponytail that cascaded down her back like a crimson waterfall.

"Hello there M'lady," the captain greeted. "Welcome aboard the _Pioneer_. I'm Norbert Walton, the captain of this little ship, but after my last trip to Japan, everybody calls me 'Nobuyuki.' Who do I have the pleasure of addressing?"

"My name is Doctor Washu von Washustein," the girl replied. "Thanks for saving my skin, Cap'n. I owe you one."

"Any time," the captain laughed. "To be honest, I was going crazy out here hundreds of miles from the closest woman. Let's face it: having such a young and beautiful woman like you around here is a breath of fresh air."

"Well aren't you the charmer," Washu winked. "Do you say such nice things to all the girls, or just the ones that you spy on through the peephole?"

Nobuyuki blushed a deep red. "Er uh…"

"It's all right," Washu laughed at his embarrassment. "I've heard all about you sailors. I knew the risks when I came on board. So what are you doing out here anyway?"

Well…" Nobuyuki drew himself to his full height and grasped the lapels of his jacket proudly. "My crew and I hope to be the first ones to…"

"That's real interesting," Washu interrupted. "Who does a girl have to kill to get a drop of gin around here?"

"Oh," the captain blushed again. "Of course, you need something for circulation." He crouched by a chest and pulled out a brass key. "Just a minute, let me get you something."

"Thank you kind sir," Washu said in a high-pitched overly feminine voice. "I've always depended on the kindness of strangers…"

The captain smiled as he pulled out a bottle of vodka. This spirited woman had quite a sense of humor and was incredibly lively for one who had been traveling in this frozen wasteland. It was easy to fall in love with her.

"Here you go," he said as he poured some into a glass tumbler. "Let me find something to water it down with…"

His voice trailed off as she downed the alcoholic beverage in one great gulp. "Whew, that hits the spot," the little redhead said. "More please."

"Okay," he said warily. "Just don't accuse me of trying to get you drunk. So what's a pretty thing like you doing all the way out here anyway?"

Washu sighed and her boundless energy left her. "I suppose that you deserve to know Captain, but I doubt you'll believe me. You'll just say that I'm mad like all the others."

"Who cares?" he shrugged. "Some people think I'm crazy too. Let's hear it."

"I gotta warn you, it's a long story," she warned him as she collapsed into a chair.

"So what?" he shrugged as he pulled up a second chair and sat down. "Until the ice melts, we aren't going anywhere. I've got plenty of time. It will give us something to do in the meantime." His eyebrows waggled suggestively. "Unless there's something _else_ you want to do in here, but I thought we should get to know each other first!"

"Why captain!" she cackled as she slapped his arm. "You're terrible! I ought to wash your mouth out with soap for saying that!"

"Yeah you should," he chuckled. "So, you were going to tell me what you were doing up here. It must be quite a story."

"I doubt Lemuel _Gulliver had a story as bizarre as the one I'm about to tell," Washu said as her face sobered. "Honestly, you won't believe a word of it."_

_"__Like you'll be the first person aboard a ship to tell tall tales," Nobuyuki smiled with gentle sarcasm. "It doesn't matter if I believe it or not, I want to hear it. Anything to hear that beautiful voice of yours…"_

_"__Huh?" Washu blinked. "You think that my voice is beautiful?"_

_"__Are you kidding?" he smiled. "Compared to the guys on this ship, you've got the face and voice of an angel."_

_"__All right," the redhead blushed, "but you gotta let me tell my story without judging me. I don't know what would be worse, for you to believe me or for you ____not__ to believe me."_

_"__Come on, little Washu, tell me!" Nobuyuki jumped up and down in his chair like an impatient little boy._

_"__All right, keep your shirt on," the petite woman scolded. "I come from Geneva, Switzerland. I was born to a wealthy family and attended the finest schools. It was obvious from the beginning that I was destined to become an incredible genius."_

_"__Really?" Nobuyuki prodded. "So what did you do? Teach yourself to read at age two?"_

_"__Well, most parents don't have a little girl who has finished reading Isaac Newton's __Philosophiæ Naturalis Principia Mathematica_ by age four," Washu admitted. "That really marks a child as 'different'."

"I guess so," the captain nodded.

"And by age six I was making corrections," she added. "Still want to hear my story?"

"Are you kidding?" the captain laughed, "I wouldn't miss this for all of the tea in China!"

"Okay don't say that I didn't warn you," she sighed. "When I was eight, I attended Goldstadt Medical College at the University in Ingolstadt in Bavaria as a student. By the time I was twelve I had doctorates in both medicine and chemistry. They offered me a professorship and I accepted."

"A professorship?" Nobuyuki gasped in disbelief. "To a _woman_? To a twelve-year-old girl?"

"Hey, you said that you weren't going to judge me until after I was finished," Washu said testily.

"Sorry, please go on," the captain put up a placating hand.

"Okay," Washu grumbled. "Where was I? Oh yes, there I was, a young innocent professor working on discovering the secret of life itself and beating God at his own game when a man walked into my life… One of my students, Tenchi Mancini… It was at that time that my life changed forever…"

"A man?" Nobuyuki asked. "Sounds juicy. Did you two fall in love?"

"Yes, but alas it didn't last," Tears formed in Washu's eyes as she admitted this. She looked away and stared at the wood burning stove that was heating the cabin. "I can still remember the day we broke up like it was yesterday. He broke my little heart but I didn't give up on him… I vowed to prove myself and get him back, no matter what the cost…"

_Next: Breaking Up is Hard to Do_


	2. Breaking Up is Hard to Do

_Galaxy 1001D presents:_

**Washustein; or the Modern Mad Scientist**

_Starring Washu Hakubi as Doctor Washu Fitzgerald von Washustein_

_Tenchi Masaki as Tenchi Mancini_

_Tenchi Muyo and all related characters are © AIC/Pioneer/Genon/Funimation. __Additional material by Ben Elton, Richard Curtis, and Rowan Atkinson © BBC Enterprises Ltd.__ This story is written solely for entertainment and is not intended to make a profit in any way._

_Based on "Frankenstein__; or, the Modern Prometheus__" created by Mary Shelly_

_And "Tenchi Muyo" created by Masaki Kajishima_

_Chapter Two: __Breaking Up is Hard to Do_

Tenchi Mancini rode his horse out of Ingolstadt's busy streets on his way to see his fiancé, the lovely and ingenious Washu Fitzgerald von Washustein. If anyone had told him that he would fall in love with his biology professor when he first came to the Ingolstadt University in Bavaria he wouldn't have believed it. He could still remember when his Hungarian roommate Amagaski suggested such a crazy thing on their last day at boarding school.

"Hey Tenchi, I hear you're leaving for Bavaria," the fat and bespectacled boy had said as he scratched his red acne-ravaged nose. "I understand that you got accepted at the Goldstadt Medical College in Ingolstadt."

"Yeah Amagaski," Tenchi had replied as he packed his things to leave the boarding school forever. "I put in for Heidelberg too, but it was Goldstadt that accepted me."

"Well if your scores get hairy, I heard there was a way to get in with those Bavarian professors," his tubby roommate had continued. "I heard that you always get a passing grade if you do them… favors."

"Well that's the University system for you," Tenchi had laughed. "The underclassmen spend so much time stepping and fetching for the upperclassmen, they barely have time to do any studying. I'm not surprised that every student has to act like personal valets for the professors."

"No you don't understand," Amagaski had said as he leaned his corpulent bulk against the doorframe. "I mean _do them favors_… I understand that a lot of those stuffy old professors have a thing for strapping young boys."

"Wait a minute!" Tenchi's voice had raised an octave as he looked up from his packing to stare at his roommate. "What are you talking about? They wouldn't be interested in _me_ that way, would they?"

"Why of course," Amagaski had looked away and attempted to be nonchalant. "A good looking guy like yourself should be able to find a professor that would pass them with flying colors! You'd probably have to move in with him, but think of the close contact and all of the research you'd be privy too. You'd know all of his pet theories by heart. He wouldn't even need to grade you unfairly to put you at the top of the class…"

"Yee-ah!" Tenchi had cried as he put the strength of his entire body in the punch he gave his roommate's face. The punch was so powerful that the six-foot, two hundred and fifty pound boy spun through the air and was hurled out of the room into the hallway. As Amagaski fell off the cracked and damaged wall to collapse on the floor, Tenchi had rubbed his fist and growled, "Get a life, clown!"

Back in the present day, Tenchi gave an embarrassed chuckle when he realized that nearly everything his old roommate said had come true. He really _had_ fallen in love with the smartest professor at the college; only instead of a creepy old man she was a petite girl approaching twenty. "Poor Amagaski, I never _did_ apologize to him," he muttered ruefully.

He looked up at the walled towers of Castle Washustein, the ancestral home that Washu had taken apart brick by brick and moved here to be reassembled. Tenchi smiled and shook his head in disbelief.

So brilliant was Washu von Washustein that she was the only professor in history to be offered tenure after only five years of teaching. She had broken the age and the gender barriers in one fell swoop, and now the young Italian student was going to marry her. It was incredible! What would their children be like? What advances in science and civilization would future generations remember them for?

The main gate had an aquatic motif to it, for the gargoyles resembled crabs more than demons or wolves. After the young medical student dismounted, he reached behind a claw and extracted a hose that he blew into. He then put the hose to his ear and waited for a response. "Is that you, Tenchi dear?" Washu's voice sounded tinny through the speaking tube.

"Yes it is, my darling, I've come to visit you!" Tenchi had to remove the tube from his ear so he could speak into it. "I got worried when I heard that Igor quit! Open the gate, Washu, so I can come in!"

"Okay, sweetie-pie," Even with the distortion, Washu's voice sounded coy and mischievous when Tenchi returned the speaking tube to his ear. He placed the tube back in its concealed holder behind the stone crab's claw and watched the front gate open.

As Tenchi walked his horse through the courtyard, his expression softened when he heard the voice of his true love calling to him. "Oh Tenchi darling," Washu whistled enticingly. "Here I am!"

"Washu!" Tenchi dashed up to the doorstep and embraced the little redhead. "What happened? Why did Igor leave? I don't understand."

"Don't worry about him," she said with a dismissing gesture. "Some people are too wimpy for super-science. Since you're here, you can help me with my experiment!"

"Oh really?" Tenchi's eyes became wary at that, for Washu had been experimenting in sadomasochistic domination last week. "Dare I ask?"

"Oh don't worry," Washu assured him with a blush. "I won't be experimenting on _you_ today, I assure you!" They both shared some embarrassed laughter. "Oh no, it's nothing like that. Come on! Let me show you!" She ran behind him and pushed on his back to get him into the main house.

Down in the cellar, Washu opened a door that contained a bunch of strange animals in cages. Tenchi looked at the unusual beasts. Surely the dim lighting down here created illusions! "What's wrong with these animals?" Tenchi asked his little fiancé.

"Oh these?" Washu said as she stopped at a second door. "Oh they're not the experiment I told you about. These are just a few crossbreeds I've been working on for practice."

"Does that small lion have the hindquarters of a dog?" Tenchi asked.

"Yup," the little redhead nodded as she smiled. "You are looking at an actual wilde-beast, a cross between a lion and a dog. The perfect hunter. Pretty neat, huh?"

"Uh… yeah…" Tenchi said weakly. He was wondering if this was what drove Igor off.

Washu pointed at a hideous chicken thing that was squawking in its cage. "This little guy is a cross between a rooster and a serpent," she said proudly. "I had hoped to recreate the legendary cockatrice but I haven't figured out a way to make it venomous yet."

"You want to make it venomous?" Tenchi blanched in horror.

"Sure, the cockatrice of Arabian legend is supposed to be poisonous enough to foul a river just by drinking out of it," Washu shrugged, "and it's supposed to have a stinger on its tail. I haven't figured out how to breed one like that yet." She smiled at her fiancé. "I had no idea you were so interested in animal husbandry. I've created several unique breeds. It will be interesting to see which ones survive…"

"Survive?"

"Yeah, most of 'em die of congenital defects," Washu admitted. "I haven't had one of them last longer than three months."

"Ah… what kind of experiment did you need my help with?" a horrified Tenchi asked in a voice louder than he intended. Any excuse to leave the menagerie seemed like a good one.

"Oh, in here," she said as she took his hand and led him into the next room. Inside the underground chamber was various glass tanks filled with water. Some were big enough to use as a wading pool. Evidently, Washu had pushed the envelope on glassblowing as well as medicine. "Here is my laboratory," she said in a melodramatic voice. "This is the place where I beat God at his own game and show the Creator a thing or two! Yesiree!"

"Washu, what are you talking about?" Tenchi gasped.

Washu turned around to face him and put her hands on her hips. "Tenchi my love, this is where I have discovered the secret—to life—itself. This is where I have unlocked the secrets of creation and played with the building blocks of life as if they were… um… building blocks! So far I have just created some weird animals, but now I'm setting my sights much higher! Now I am ready to create a human being!"

"A human being!" Tenchi repeated in disbelief. "But that's impossible!"

"Oh Tenchi, what a predictable response," Washu scolded as if he had just stolen a cookie out of the cookie jar. "You could have said something like 'You'd have to be the greatest genius who ever lived to accomplish such a feat' or something like that."

"You mean to create a human being in your lab?" Tenchi gasped in revulsion.

"Why yes, I do," she said haughtily. "No longer will women be forced to labor for nine months while our perfect bodies are warped from the inside! Now I shall be the first to bring into this world a human that will lift us above the gods! A human that will be strong, fast, enduring, and brilliant! A newer, better human being, who will lead humanity into a new utopia! A human who will not leave stretch marks on her beautiful mother! No more dying in childbirth for us ladies! Now we will be able to create our children in the laboratory and they will be strong and beautiful!"

"That's monstrous!" Tenchi gasped. "I thought that we would bring new life into this world together, the old fashioned way, as God intended."

"Well if God intended me to wreck my young and beautiful body, I'll bring life into the world my own way," Washu frowned. "It will be a lot safer for _me_. Besides, it will be better for the baby if the mother isn't a basket case from all the mood swings."

"The baby!" Tenchi snarled. "You aren't thinking about the baby! You're only thinking about yourself!"

"What's the matter with thinking for myself?" Washu snarled. "I'm the first woman to be a tenured professor anywhere in the world! If there's one thing I've learned in this world, the only way to make change is to be pushy!"

"What about the baby?" Tenchi cried. "Even if you somehow accomplish the miracle of creating life outside of the womb, what kind of mother will your creation be getting? A selfish woman who would risk a freakish and deformed offspring rather than take the risk of carrying the baby herself?"

"Hey!" Washu used her forefinger to poke her prize student in the chest. "Get off your high horse! My creation won't be freakish and deformed! It will be a Greek god! It will be stronger, faster, better looking, and smarter than any of those morons out there in the world! My creation will be the greatest thing to happen to humanity since we learned to make fire!"

"You're mad!" Tenchi shouted.

"I sure am!" Washu shouted back. "I'm furious! How dare you say that my creation will be freakish and deformed?"

"No, I mean you're insane!" Tenchi clarified. "You haven't even created an animal that has lived longer than three months and you're talking about creating a human! You're crazy!"

"Crazy?" Washu snarled as her lovely face became distorted from anger. "Is it crazy to see the world different than everybody else does? Is it crazy to not accept the reality we are given but instead to create the reality we desire? Is it crazy to see things no one else can imagine, or to hear the call that no one else can hear? Tell me, is that crazy? Huh? Is it?"

"Yes," Tenchi nodded coldly. "Yes, it's crazy on all counts."

"I was being poetic you idiot!" A vein on Washu's head throbbed as she shook her fist. "You know what I mean!"

"I used to think that I did, but now I'm not so sure," Tenchi said with an appraising look. "If this isn't all a joke, I don't think I want you raising my children."

"What are you talking about?" Washu crossed her arms haughtily. "There's no mother as great as me!"

"Washu, you need help," Tenchi said sadly. "A brain specialist or something. There's no way you can possibly do what you're saying and even if you could, you shouldn't. There is no way you can raise a child right. I'm sorry, my love, but this is goodbye." He turned around and left through the open door.

"G-goodbye?" Washu's already pale skin lost all color. "What do you mean 'goodbye'? Hey! Come back here! I'm talking to you! Get your scrawny butt back here!" The little redhead dashed out of her secret lab to chase her fiancé before he left her life forever.

She caught up with him in the courtyard. "Hey stupid!" she said as she clutched his sleeve. "Where do you think you're going?"

"I'm leaving Professor, I'm sorry," he said sadly as he untied his horse from the post. "No matter how much I love you, this just isn't going to work."

"What? Because of what we said in there?" the little redhead was incredulous. "All lovers fight. So do spouses. If you're going to let a little thing like that get in the way of our marriage you aren't even trying!"

Tenchi was surprised. He could have sworn that calling any woman insane and an unfit mother would be enough to instill instant hatred, yet Washu acted as if they had argued over the color of the curtains. "Washu, I can't marry you. There's no way I can marry someone crazy enough to think that they can create life in their own image."

"What are you talking about?" Washu sneered. "Are you blind? I've already created life in my own image. Just take a look at my little homunculus!" On Washu's shoulder something that appeared to be a child's plush doll, but it resembled Washu herself, right down to the flaming red hair. On its blouse was a letter 'A'. "Get a load of this cute little guy! A wonder of alchemy and modern science! The perfect distillation of humanity and all of my incredible Washuness, without being bound by my crass and petty human failings. Pretty neat, huh?"

"What is that little thing?" Tenchi squinted at it. "It is some kind of animal, like a monkey?"

"A monkey?" Washu frowned. "No you idiot! It's a homunculus! Part of my quest to perfect humanity into the highest and holiest state of being! This little guy is not only pretty, but extremely intelligent. Go ahead, say something to him!"

"You are the greatest Washu!" the little Washu-thing said in a high-pitched version of Washu's voice. "You're the greatest genius who ever lived! Archimedes was a puffer compared to you!"

"See what I mean?" Washu smiled cheekily. "The little guy is perfect!"

A bead of sweat appeared at Tenchi's temple. "Look… Washu," he stammered. "Just because you managed to do the impossible and create a creature in your own image doesn't mean that you can do it again…"

"Yes, I can," Washu corrected as a _second_ little Washu-thing appeared on her other shoulder. It was identical in every way to the first homunculus, except that sewn to its blouse was a capital letter 'B'. "See? I liked the first one so much that I made a second one! And it's every bit as brilliant as the first one! I'll show you!"

"You are a genius, Washu!" the second plush-style Washu-thing said in a voice that sounded exactly like the first one. "No one in the universe is as great as you!"

"See?" Washu grinned arrogantly. "These little guys are perfect! Ah-ha-ha-ha!" Washu and her creations laughed as confetti fell from an unknown source.

Tenchi, however, was less than impressed. "I'm sorry, Washu. You can't create life this way and even if you could you shouldn't. I love you, but you're insane. There's no way I can stay." With that Tenchi mounted his horse and rode out the gate.

"Insane huh?" Washu shouted after him. "We'll see who's insane! I can create the perfect human being! A new life in my image! I'll prove it to you! And then you'll come crawling back, begging for forgiveness! You'll give anything to be the spouse of the great Washu von Washustein! You'll see! You'll see! I will never give up until I prove you wrong!" With that, the heartbroken mad scientist fell to her knees and started crying.

_Next: Good Help is Hard to Find_


	3. Good Help is Hard to Find

_Galaxy 1001D presents:_

**Washustein; or the Modern Mad Scientist**

_Starring Washu Hakubi as Doctor Washu Fitzgerald von Washustein_

_Tenchi Masaki as Tenchi Mancini_

_Mihoshi Kuramitsu as Mihoshi Gerstell_

_Tenchi Muyo and all related characters are © AIC/Pioneer/Genon/Funimation. This story is written solely for entertainment and is not intended to make a profit in any way._

_Based on "Frankenstein; or, the Modern Prometheus" created by Mary Shelly_

_And "Tenchi Muyo" created by Masaki Kajishima_

_Chapter Three: Good Help is Hard to Find_

"I don't believe it!" Washu fumed. "Karl and Fritz have quit too! What am I going to do? I can't do this all myself!" The demented scientist collapsed in a dusty chair to brood. Since Tenchi broke off their engagement, Washu's temper had become unpredictable. It wasn't long before no servant would work for her, and Castle Washustein was becoming shabby and rundown from neglect. Worse yet, procuring supplies and moving heavy equipment was a challenge that even a genius of her caliber had trouble with.

Tears formed in Washu's eyes. If only Tenchi hadn't left her! What had scared him off? Didn't he realize what her discovery would mean for the countless women around the world who were incapacitated due to the rigors of pregnancy and childbirth? Thank goodness she had gotten tenure before she succumbed to her latest obsession. This semester she had to make up a pseudoscientific gobbledygook name for her class so that no student would dare take it.

"It's hopeless!" she shouted at the empty castle. "I've hired hunchbacks, morons, convicts, and cripples! I'm reduced to employing the kind of people who can't get a job anywhere else, and they've all quit! How low are my standards going to have to go before I find a new servant?"

She was answered by a knock at the door and a feminine, "Hello? Is anyone there? Is anybody home?"

"Come in it's open," Washu shouted from her chair. Come in so I can throw you out, she fumed silently.

"Hello," said the visitor. "Are you Lady Washu von Washustein? My name is Mihoshi Gerstell, and I've come to answer your ad in the paper," the girl was tall and slender, yet curvaceous. She was apparently from the north; perhaps from Prussia because her hair was a light shade of blonde and her eyes were baby blue. Her skin was a golden bronze, indicating that she had spent a lot of time outdoors. "Is the position still available? It hasn't been filled has it?"

"No it hasn't," Washu grumbled. The feisty redhead took a deep breath and rose to her feet. "Okay, let's have a look at you. I need help on a lot of technical stuff sometimes. Are you smart enough to read?"

"Yes," the blonde nodded cheerfully. "Don't worry about that! I used to work at a library."

"Someone didn't read the ad for you, did they?" Washu asked. This woman really seemed stupid.

"No," Mihoshi shook her head.

"Do you have a pulse?" Washu asked sarcastically. She hated to admit it, but she really couldn't be picky.

"Do I have a pulse?" the flustered blonde repeated. "Um… let's see," she looked around helplessly and then loosened her cuff in order to clasp her wrist. "Yes, I have a pulse alright."

"Do you have a problem with hard work?" Washu asked as if reading off from a list. "Work that defies the conventions of man and God? Work that seems blasphemous to the religious, scientific, and secular community?"

"Uh… no, I guess not," the girl replied hesitantly as she raised her hand to put the tips of her fingers against her bottom lip. Washu got the impression that she really didn't understand the questions.

"Are you able to work for a boss that throws tantrums, inflicts verbal and physical abuse, and generally belittles you?"

The blonde breathed a sigh of relief. "Oh yes… as long as you don't fire me!" she said cheerfully.

Fat chance of that, Washu thought to herself. With my short temper, I wouldn't be able to get a replacement. "Okay," she said aloud. "You're hired. Put your stuff in the servants' quarters and meet me in the cellar."

"Okay," Mihoshi nodded. "Which room is mine?"

"Whatever one you want," Washu said dryly. "All of the servants' rooms are empty anyhow."

"What? Empty?" Mihoshi seemed surprised. "Where did they all go?"

"They went to a hunchback convention," Washu snapped. "Change into some workman's clothes and get ready for work."

"Uh, what is the uniform?" Mihoshi asked. "Am I going to have to take it out so it will fit?"

"There is no uniform," Washu told her. "Some of my old servants left some clothing behind. They're yours if they fit. You better wear men's clothes because some of the work can get awfully messy."

"They left their clothes behind?" Mihoshi repeated. "But you told me they went to a convention."

"Not all of them quit… I mean left," Washu explained. "Some of them died. You can have their clothes."

"Oh my, is this job safe?" Mihoshi asked.

* * *

Soon they were down in the cellar viewing Washu's mad menagerie. "These are my creations," Washu told her. "You are to feed and care for them. And clean up after them, especially clean up after them!" she hastily added. "Be careful some of them are kind of dangerous, so don't let them bite you."

"Oh my!" the blonde exclaimed. "What are they?"

"They are my hybrids," Washu explained. "I created them to see if I could. This is just chump change; wait until you see my _real _project. In here," With that the little scientist led her into her underground laboratory. "This is my lab," she explained. "This is where I make it all happen. I'm going to create human life right here. Do you got a problem with that?"

"Create human life?" Mihoshi blinked. "Oh my! That's kinky!" she blushed. "Creating human life, right here on this table! My goodness! Will the baby be born here, or just conceived here?"

"No you idiot!" Washu stomped her foot. "I'm going to create my masterpiece using purely biochemical methods! Just like I created my hybrids out there! Just like I created my little homunculi!"

Suddenly two little plush Washus appeared on the mad scientist's shoulders.

"You are a genius Washu!" the one perched on her left shoulder announced.

"You don't spread your legs for anybody, Washu!" the one on her right shoulder chimed in.

"That'll change when I get Tenchi back," the mad scientist muttered. "Call me mad will he? I'll show him!"

"Oh my, those are so cute!" Mihoshi gushed. "They look just like you! How do you make them talk like that? I didn't see your lips move!"

"They're not puppets, their homunculi, you idiot!" Washu screeched. "They move and talk by themselves can't you see that?"

"They aren't?" a confused Mihoshi asked. "They sure look like puppets. Can I hold one?"

"No you can't hold one!" Washu shouted.

"Okay, calm down," Mihoshi made a placating gesture. "I was just admiring your little dolls."

"They aren't dolls… oh forget it," Washu huffed. "You don't have to understand it, you just have to follow orders. Can you do that?"

"Yes ma'am!" Mihoshi stood ramrod straight and made a snappy salute. "Understood ma'am! Don't worry about a thing, you can count on me!"

"What's with the salute?" Washu put her hands on her hips.

"Oh! Nothing," Mihoshi blushed. "I was in the army for a short time, but they made me quit. They said that the other soldiers couldn't concentrate on their duties when I was around and just stood around groping themselves."

Whatever Washu expected the dizzy blonde to say, that wasn't it. "Uh… right…" Now that she got a good look at Mihoshi, she _was_ rather attractive. Mihoshi's face and body were the perfect Scandinavian ideal. In her quest to get Tenchi back she would have to minimize contact between her ex-fiancé and her servant.

Washu drew a breath and took command. "Okay, for your first task, I want you to move these boxes of Swiss chocolate out of here. I had purchased them when I was planning to create a type of chocolate that would be good for you and wouldn't give you acne, but I've got a more important project now. After that you can feed my animals." She handed the leggy blonde a sheet of paper. "Here is a list of the things each animal is allowed to eat. Make sure that you follow this list exactly and feed each animal only what is listed in each description. Do you got that?"

"Um, I guess," Mihoshi squinted at the list in the dim light.

"You better do better than guess," Washu snapped. "They may look like wild beasts but they are actually fragile creatures. Since they were bred artificially, they don't have much stamina and have delicate digestive systems. Give them the wrong food and you might overheat their blood or stop up their system and that would kill them. Do you understand?"

"But my dog ate table scraps all the time when I was a girl," Mihoshi argued. "I don't understand what the big deal is."

"The only thing you have to understand is do what I say, you fool!" Washu growled. She took a breath and calmed down. "Okay, after you feed the animals you can start cooking dinner. I assume you know how to cook?"

"Oh yes, I used to work as a baker," Mihoshi smiled. "I was really good!"

"If you were really good, why aren't you still baking?" Washu asked.

The blonde became uncomfortable. "Well… everything went fine until I was ordered to bake a cherry pie for the mayor and his family. I was so nervous, I forgot to take the pits out the cherries before I baked it. When the mayor saw my delicious pie, he dug right in! Oh Miss Washu, it was terrible! There was bridge work everywhere!"

"Well don't mess up on me, mini-brain, or else I'll throw you off a bridge." Washu looked hard into Mihoshi's eyes, before she left the lab.

Mihoshi looked around. "Now where do I put these boxes of chocolate? I'll see how many I can put into the attic. Seems a pity though, it will just spoil if it's not eaten." She picked up a heavy box and carried it out the door.

Unfortunately, she didn't change into men's clothes when Washu told her to earlier and tripped on her own skirt. "Whoops! I'd better be more careful!" she said as she picked herself of the floor. She glanced down in alarm. "Oh my! The box has come open! There are chocolate bars everywhere!"

As she picked up the chocolate confections, she smelled the enticing aroma through the golden foil. "Mm, smells good," she muttered. "I suppose it wouldn't spoil my dinner to have one little piece…" Soon the blonde's lips were smacking with chocolaty goodness. "Mm-mm, delicious!"

Sounds were heard from Washu's twisted menagerie. "Oh my! Do you want some?" Mihoshi asked the strange animals. "Here you go," she said as she unwrapped the bars of expensive Swiss chocolate and tossed them in the cages. "Chocolate bars for everyone!" the blonde cheered. "There you go," she said after the box was empty, "that should hold you until I finish moving this stuff to the attic."

* * *

Moving the heavy boxes of chocolate bars from the basement to the attic took longer than she thought. When she was done, Mihoshi took a small nap before going back downstairs to feed Washu's menagerie. When she got back, the animals were strangely quiet.

"Here you go," she said to a cute little rabbit-feline hybrid. It looked like a cross between a kitten and a baby bunny. "Carrots for Ryo-ohki, just as it says," Mihoshi glanced at her list and then opened the cage to put the carrots inside. "What's the matter?" she asked as she took a piece of chocolate out of the cage. "You didn't eat your chocolate? Don't you like chocolate? Poor thing! You must have been starving! Well it's all better now, isn't it?"

When the creature meowed happily she turned her attention to the other animals. "Okay, the cockatrice," she looked at her list. "It says here that you only eat grains and live mice. Here you go," she said as she filled the dish and dropped the tiny rodents into the cage. "I don't understand, Washu said you were vicious, but you don't seem dangerous when you are fast asleep! Finished your chocolate, huh? That's good, sorry I took so long! You better wake up, flies are crawling on you."

She closed the door of the cage and moved on to the next cage. "Okay, the wilde-beast, that's a funny name, will-duh beast. Oh! I see you finished your chocolate too! That's good. It took me forever to finish moving all those boxes to the attic!"

She squinted at the list in the dim light. "It says here that you eat mostly meat and live prey. Here is your meat!" She opened the door and ducked her head as she walked into the cage. "Here you go," she said as she put the raw meat into the massive bowl. "You better wake up now Mister Wilde-beast, you're letting flies land on you the same way the cockatrice did! Oh my, Washu said you were dangerous, maybe I better wake you up after I get out and lock the cage!"

After she had exited and secured the cage, Mihoshi called out to the comatose beast. "Oh Mister Wilde-beast, you don't want flies to land on your food do you? Flies just love raw meat you know! They will crawl all over it, just like they are crawling… on… you…" Her normally cheerful voice trailed away. "Eep!" she squeaked. She unlocked the door and entered the cage again. "Come on, Mister Wilde-beast, you just gotta be alive!" She turned the body over and pressed down on the creature's chest with both hands. She cupped her hands over its snout in a futile attempt to form a seal over its mouth and blew into it.

"Meow?" the rabbit/feline hybrid known as Ryo-ohki seemed to be asking Mihoshi a question.

The flustered blonde clambered out of the cage and ran over to open the cage containing Ryo-ohki to pick her up and stroke the cabbit's brown fur. "Oh don't worry about a thing, Ryo-ohki," the blonde assured the little cabbit. "Mister Wilde-beast isn't dead, he's just resting. I grew up on a farm! If Mister Wilde-beast was dead, he would empty his bowels."

Fetid wind blew Mihoshi's hair backwards as a nauseating sound erupted from the wilde-beast's cage. Mihoshi's blue eyes and Ryo-ohki's gold ones bulged in horror as the sickening spectacle unfolded before them.

"Oh no," Mihoshi groaned. "What am I going to do?"

"Mew…" Ryo-ohki meowed sympathetically.

"Mihoshi!" Washu's voice shouted from the stairway. "Where's my dinner?"

"Ooh! Just a minute! Just a minute please!" Mihoshi gasped. "It will be about an hour!"

* * *

One hour later…

Washu sat at her dining table and was amazed at the sight of Mihoshi bringing in steaming platters of meat. "Wow, look at all that!" the little redhead gasped. "Where did you find all that meat?"

"Uh, my father's a farmer," Mihoshi lied quickly. "He wanted me to impress you on my first day on the job, so he donated all this meat to us."

"I sure am impressed," Washu said between bites. "This is delicious! I can't identify it, though. It's not beef or pork. What is it?"

"Uh… he didn't say," Mihoshi blushed. "He just chopped it up and had it sent here. I'm glad you like it."

"I sure do," Washu smiled. "You sure are a good cook. I don't understand why you were fired from your former positions."

"Heh-heh, yeah me neither," Mihoshi agreed weakly.

_NEXT: Payback's a Witch _


	4. Payback's a Witch

_Galaxy 1001D presents:_

**Washustein; or the Modern Mad Scientist**

_Starring Washu Hakubi as Doctor Washu Fitzgerald von Washustein_

_Tenchi Masaki as Tenchi Mancini_

_Mihoshi Kuramitsu as Mihoshi Gerstell_

_Aeka Masaki Jurai as Ayeka Jurai_

_Sasami Masaki Jurai as Sasami Jurai_

_Tenchi Muyo and all related characters are © AIC/Pioneer/Genon/Funimation. This story is written solely for entertainment and is not intended to make a profit in any way._

_Based on "Frankenstein; or, the Modern Prometheus" created by Mary Shelly_

_And "Tenchi Muyo" created by Masaki Kajishima_

_Chapter Four: Payback's a Witch_

Alas, Mihoshi's ruse did not last long. The next day, Washu cornered her in the kitchen. "What happened to my animals?" Washu yelled as she grasped the straps of Mihoshi's apron and straddled the tall blonde with her legs in order to look directly into her terrified blue eyes. "All of the cages are empty! They aren't in the barn or the stable! What did you _do_ with them?"

Ryo-ohki meowed timidly from Mihoshi's shoulder.

"Uh, nothing," Mihoshi lied. "Nothing at all. See, your little rabbit thing is right here. Care for some lunch?"

"What happened to the rest of them?" Washu snarled, her heels digging into Mihoshi's sides. "What happened to my wilde-beast? What happened to my weasel-cow? And what happened to my cockatrice?"

"The cockatrice, is that the one that was the combination of the rooster and the snake?" Mihoshi asked innocently. "I haven't seen it."

Washu jumped back down to the floor and put her hands on her hips. "Even if you had left the cages unlocked, there would be some signs of their passage. Where have you taken them?"

"Here, have some food," Mihoshi offered as she took a steaming bronze bird out of the oven. "You'll feel better after you eat. And then we can look for your missing animals!"

As the steam cleared from Mihoshi's culinary masterpiece, Washu took a suspicious look at the bird. "Does that chicken have a snake's tail?"

"I don't know," Mihoshi said innocently. "Does it?" If there was one thing that Mihoshi was good at, it was acting dumb.

"You cooked it, didn't you?" Washu's eyes narrowed. "You cooked my cockatrice. My attempt to create a legendary beastie and you plucked and cooked it. Is that what happened to my wilde-beast?"

"Well you have to admit, it goes good with gravy!" Mihoshi admitted.

"No it doesn't!" Washu cried as she slapped at the blonde, only this time it was Washu who was lying. The wilde-beast was delicious with gravy.

"Come on, give it a try," Mihoshi said as she put her hands up to block the blows. "You said that you weren't interested in your weird hybrids anyway, give it a try." When Washu seemed unmoved, the blonde added, "No one in the world has ever tried baked cockatrice, you'll be the first."

A bell tolled in the distance. "Get the door," Washu said through grit teeth, "before I throw you out it."

"Okay!" Mihoshi said as she dashed away from the furious redhead, Ryo-ohki hot on her heels. "Right away, master! I'm getting the door now!" When she got to the door, she breathed a sigh of relief. "Boy that was a close one. Saved by the bell." She opened the door. "Yee-ah!" she screamed.

Standing at the door was Lady Ayeka Jurai and her nine-year-old sister, Sasami. At least Mihoshi thought it was Lady Ayeka. "Mihoshi?" gasped the surprised aristocrat. "I should have known," she grumbled as she took off her bonnet.

"Why Lady Ayeka!" Mihoshi gasped. "Your hair! It's gone… purple!"

"Yes, I know," Ayeka muttered through clenched teeth. "Very observant. So you work here now, do you? I'm not surprised."

"Oh please don't fire me again!" the blonde sobbed as she fell to her knees and clutched at Ayeka's legs.

"I can't fire you again, you don't work for me anymore," Ayeka assured her. "Now get off! Let go of me, will you?" she said as she struggled to escape Mihoshi's grasp. "I need to speak to the so-called lady of the house."

"Oh that's right, I don't," Mihoshi stood up as she breathed a sigh of relief. "Right this way my lady. The master is in the dining room."

"The master?" little Sasami whispered to Ayeka. "There's a man in the house?"

Ayeka shrugged without comment.

"Lord Washu, Lady Ayeka and Lady Sasami are here to see you," Mihoshi announced when she led the two into the dining room. Washu was sitting at the head of the table gnawing on what appeared to be a chicken leg, the cooked remains of the cockatrice before her.

"_Lady_ Washu, you idiot," Washu corrected without looking up from her food.

"Oops!" Mihoshi blushed. "I'm sorry, master! Lady Washu, you have guests. Lady Ayeka and Lady Sasami are here to see you, master!"

"What is this 'master' stuff?" Washu growled as she threw the bone away. "I'm a 'mistress' you fool! Can't you tell—huh?" Washu's green eyes widened as she saw Ayeka and her long purple hair. "Aha-ha-ha!" she slapped her knee in a most unladylike fashion. "Ha-ha-ha! Ayeka! Your hair! It's turned purple! It worked!"

"You fiend!" Ayeka cried. "You did this, didn't you? You did this when you found out that Tenchi and I are seeing each other! You couldn't leave him alone could you? You had to get back at me! What was it? Something in the wine perhaps?"

"Nope!" Washu crowed. "It was the chocolate!"

"The chocolate?" Ayeka put her hand over her mouth in horror. "You mean that Swiss chocolate _wasn't_ from Lord Tenchi?"

"No, it was from me!" Washu grinned evilly. "You think you can take my Tenchi from me, but now you have another think coming!"

"Now listen here you sadistic slattern!" Ayeka spat. "It wasn't just me; I shared some of that candy with Sasami." She removed the bonnet from her sister's head to reveal that little Sasami's hair had gone sky-blue. "What have you got to say for yourself, you horrible harridan?"

"I say that you better stay away from my Tenchi if you know what's good for you," Washu smiled. "It's your word against mine, and I've got a noble title too, ya know."

"You! You…!" Ayeka clenched both her teeth and her fists. "I've got half a mind to thrash you within an inch of your life right now!" She pointed an accusing finger at the redhead while striking a melodramatic pose. "Consider this a duel!"

"You must have only _half_ a mind if you think you can beat me," Washu sneered. "I'm a master fencer and out of your league, Ayeka."

"We'll see about that!" Without warning, Ayeka closed the distance between them and slapped Washu right out of her chair.

"Now of course you know this means war," Washu said as she picked herself up. She was about to say something else when Lady Ayeka picked up the chair and broke it over Washu's head.

"It _will_ be war if you don't stay away from me and my sister," Ayeka warned the injured redhead. "Tenchi can make his own decisions, and he chose _me_! All right, I admit that I was jealous when you two were engaged, but I was big enough to step back and wish the two of you the greatest happiness. I expect you to do the same. If you dare come near me again I'll wring your neck and throw your scrawny body off a cliff, do you hear me?"

"Perfectly," Washu growled as she sat on the floor and held onto her aching head. "Deaf people can hear you."

"Good," Ayeka put her hands on her hips haughtily. "Come Sasami. I think we're done here."

"Yes, Ayeka," Sasami nodded as she followed her sister.

Ayeka paused by the door to taunt her rival. "Oh Doctor Washustein, you could always tell people that I attacked you, but I wouldn't bother. It's your word against mine, and I've got a noble title too, you know. A ha-ha-ha!" Her witchy cackle echoed through the castle as she and her sister left.

"Wow," Mihoshi said stupidly as her employer picked herself off the floor. "That's the same thing you said to her, Lady Washu!"

"Shut up!" Washu growled as she clenched her fists. "That witch is going to pay! And I know the best revenge! Success! I will get Tenchi back by proving that I'm not insane! Even if it costs me every last shred of my sanity!"

"Washu, did you really turn Lady Ayeka's hair purple?" Mihoshi asked.

"Yes it's what she deserves," Washu grimaced. "Why else do you think I bought all that chocolate? I was experimenting with something that would leave that purple-haired poop-noddy humiliated for daring to court my Tenchi! I would have used the flatulence version but it wears off in a few days but the hair coloring version is permanent!"

"Y-you made a flatulence version?" Mihoshi paled. "You mean if someone eats the candy they will get gassy?"

"That's right," Washu crossed her arms and nodded. "I created a chemical I added to the chocolate that would cause some of the most obnoxious farts imaginable! It would be impossible for her to see Lord Tenchi! It would take her months to live down the humiliation!"

"Uh… did you experiment with _all_ of the chocolate or just some of it?" Mihoshi asked in a shaky voice.

"Just some of it," Washu shrugged. "I bought a whole bunch because I didn't know how much I needed until I perfected my formula. Why? You didn't eat any of it, did you?"

"Oh no, no…" Mihoshi said nervously before a rude noise erupted from her direction.

"Mihoshi!" Washu growled. "You _did_ eat some of it, didn't you?"

"Maybe…" Mihoshi blushed as another nauseating noise was heard.

"You didn't feed any of it to my animals did you?" Washu asked the flatulent flunky. "I told you they had fragile digestive systems! You didn't feed any of it to them did you?"

"Maybe…" Mihoshi repeated as yet other eruption of gas escaped.

"You idiot!" Washu stomped her foot. "No wonder they died! Did you ever feed chocolate to that dog of yours that ate table scraps?"

"Oh yes," Mihoshi smiled. "He seemed to really like it, too." Her smile vanished as a sound like a tuba emanated from her dress.

"How many times did you feed your dog chocolate?" Washu asked her.

"Only once," Mihoshi answered. "He died the next day, but at least he got to enjoy the taste of milk chocolate once in his life. It's a good thing he got to eat some before he died, huh?"

"You are such a moron," Washu muttered under her breath.

Outside, Ayeka and Sasami got back in their carriage. "Take us home, Udo," Ayeka ordered as her footman shut the door. "We are done here."

"Ayeka, there's something in the carriage with us!" Sasami whispered as the carriage moved forward.

The purplehaired girl listened, and then her eyes widened in fear. "Why you're right, Sasami! Do you think that woman placed a scorpion in here or something?"

"It's under the seat," a nervous Sasami reported.

"Oh my! And the vehicle is moving!" Ayeka gasped. "We can't get out! I suppose we better tell Udo to stop the horses!"

At that moment, a little brown blur leaped up, bounced off the wall of the carriage, and landed on Ayeka's lap.

"EEEEYAH!" she screamed.

Sasami yelped when the tiny creature hopped off her sister's lap onto her own. "Ayeka! It's okay! It's only a rabbit! I think…"

"Miya!" the little creature meowed.

"Since when does a rabbit make cat noises?" Ayeka asked suspiciously.

"I don't know," Sasami admitted. "It looks like a rabbit, but it has the head and shoulders of a cat."

"And a rabbit's ears," Ayeka added.

"Ayeka we just discovered a new kind of animal!" Sasami gushed. "Turn the carriage around! Doctor Washustein could tell us what kind of animal it is!"

"Certainly not," Ayeka huffed. "If this is a new species of animal, I am not letting that woman get into the history books by discovering it. It will be our little secret. We'll take it home with us and keep it as a pet and let nobody know about it."

"Oh Ayeka!" Sasami smiled. "We can keep it? Can we really?"

"Certainly Sasami," Ayeka smiled. "It seems to like you. And I can't think of a better revenge against that woman than keeping a discovery like this hidden."

"Do you hear that?" Sasami smiled at the little brown rabbit-like creature. "You can come home with us!"

"Miya!" the little cabbit smiled.

Meanwhile, back in the dining room of Castle Washustein…

"So how is your baked cockatrice?" Mihoshi asked the little redhead seated at the table.

"It tastes like chicken," Washu replied.

_NEXT: God's Domain_


	5. God's Domain

_Galaxy 1001D presents:_

**Washustein; or the Modern Mad Scientist**

_Starring Washu Hakubi as Doctor Washu Fitzgerald von Washustein_

_Tenchi Masaki as Tenchi Mancini_

_Mihoshi Kuramitsu as Mihoshi Gerstell_

_Aeka Masaki Jurai as Ayeka Jurai_

_Sasami Masaki Jurai as Sasami Jurai_

_Tenchi Muyo and all related characters are © AIC/Pioneer/Genon/Funimation. This story is written solely for entertainment and is not intended to make a profit in any way._

_Based on "Frankenstein; or, the Modern Prometheus" created by Mary Shelly_

_And "Tenchi Muyo" created by Masaki Kajishima_

_Chapter Five: God's Domain_

It was a dark and stormy night. No really this time! It really was! The angry storm clouds hid the moon from view and only flashes of lightning illuminated the darkness. In her underground laboratory, the insane genius Doctor Washu von Washustein cackled like the crackpot she was. "Ha-ha-ha!" she gloated next to a large tank of murky water. "Soon my creation will be finished! They said I was mad! They said I was crazy! They said it couldn't be done! But soon! Soon my creation will be finished!"

In a burst of frantic energy, Washu turned and left her lab in order to sprint up the stairs. She passed the ground floor and continued upwards until she came to a window at the top of a tower. "Ha-ha-ha! Give me your fury, you jealous gods! There is no point having a tizzy-fit; soon there shall be another among you! The name of Washu von Washustein shall live forever!"

As the wind blew in through the window, Washu frowned and looked at her pocket watch. "It's been over an hour. How long does it take for that idiot to come back with a brain anyhow?"

At that moment, the door from the stairs opened and standing in the doorway was a disheveled Mihoshi Gerstell. In her hands she was carrying a large jar containing a human brain floating in an amber fluid. "I have returned with what you asked for master!" she said with a fanaticism nearly matching that of Washu herself. "I have brought you a living brain!"

"Excellent, Mihoshi," Washu smiled. "Now I'm ready for my next experiment after I finish this one."

"Your _next_ experiment?" asked a puzzled Mihoshi. "Don't you need a human brain to finish _this_ one? I mean, don't you need a brain to complete your homemade human being or something?"

"Oh no," Washu shook her head. "That brain is for _you_. You seem real stupid so I want to see if putting new brain in your head would make you any smarter. It couldn't hurt."

"What?" gasped the horrified blonde.

"See?" Washu shrugged as she walked past her quivering servant. "You're so dumb you don't even understand the words I'm saying right now. Having a new brain in your skull will be a welcome change."

"Uh…" Mihoshi stared helplessly at the brain she was carrying as Washu left the room. "Oops!" she said as she threw the jar of brain out the window. "I dropped it! Clumsy me! I really gotta be more careful!" she said with exaggerated innocence. She trotted over to the window and closed and shuttered it against the storm. Then she turned and ran out the door.

Mihoshi was descending the stairs to follow her mistress down to the lab in the cellar, when she heard the chime of a bell. "Oh my! I better go see who's at the door!"

* * *

Down in her underground lab Washu was positioning lamps around a large tank of murky fluid in order to illuminate the human form submerged within. "Soon… Soon my darling you shall know life…" the obsessed redhead cooed.

It was then the door burst open to reveal Mihoshi trying to hold back a number of struggling figures. "I'm sorry, master, but they forced themselves in! I tried to… yah! Get back here!"

The first figure to get past Mihoshi was Tenchi Mancini. "Washu!" he shouted. "So _there_ you are!"

"Tenchi!" Washu cried as she spread her arms and ran over to embrace him. "You naughty boy! I _knew_ you'd come back to me! I just knew it!"

"Washu," Tenchi grunted as he pried Washu off him. "I haven't come back to you. I came here because of what you did to Ayeka and Sasami. What did you _do_ to them?"

"What?" Washu looked at the door to see Sasami and Ryo-ohki slip past the struggling Ayeka and Mihoshi. Sasami's eyes were an unnatural pink.

Ayeka's eyes were as red as rubies and were flashing in anger. "Get… off of me!" she ordered as she struggled with the taller Mihoshi. "Let go of me this instant! I command you!"

"Give it up Mihoshi," Washu ordered. "As long as they're here they can witness my greatest triumph."

"Doctor Washustein!" Ayeka roared. "Look at my eyes! They're the color of merlot! What have you done to me?"

"Why Lady Ayeka, I don't know _what_ you are talking about," Washu smiled coyly.

"You fiend!" Ayeka cried as she lunged towards the little scientist. "You'll pay for this!"

Mihoshi grabbed the frothing Ayeka from behind and slowly pulled her back. "Now Miss Ayeka, you have to calm down!"

"Don't try to lie to us Washu; we all know it was you," Tenchi said testily. "You're the only one who could have done it. I understand doing things to Ayeka, but why did you have to include Sasami too? Her eyes are as pink as an albino rabbit's!"

"It's true," Sasami nodded. "Today my governess called me her blue bunny!"

"Well, after the hair incident, Sasami should know better than to share meals with her sister," Washu huffed.

"Washu!" Tenchi gasped. "You're not even sorry!"

"Of course I'm not sorry!" declared a teary-eyed Washu. "I had Mihoshi put the formula into their food as soon as I heard about your engagement to Ayeka! Do you think I _like_ having you break my heart this way?"

"Leave Ayeka and Sasami out of this!" Tenchi ordered. "If you have a problem with my decisions, come at me! Don't get them involved!"

"You scoundrel! I'm going to kill you!" Ayeka screeched as she struggled with Mihoshi. "I'm going to tear you apart with my bare hands!"

"I've had enough of this!" Washu turned and walked to a nearby desk. She opened a drawer and pulled out a pistol. She cocked the hammer back and fired a shot at the ceiling. "Calm down and keep still all of you!" she ordered. "I can't hear myself think here!"

The shot rendered everyone speechless. Even Ayeka kept still.

"Ladies and gentlemen, may I introduce the .28 caliber 1836 Colt Paterson revolving pistol, the first handgun to feature multiple chambers aligned with a single stationary barrel." Washu said while thumbing the hammer back, causing the cylinder to rotate enough to align a fresh chamber. "It can hold a maximum of five shots and thanks to its rifled barrel it is very accurate. Although considered too fragile for the military I find it perfect for use in a secure and sterile lab."

"W-Washu," Tenchi stammered in fear. "Why do you even keep that thing around for?"

"I like to keep a gun handy in case any of my creations get out of control," Washu replied breezily. "It is also equally useful in case any of my houseguests get out of control. You going to calm down, Ayeka?"

"Y-yes," the purple-haired aristocrat nodded.

"Good, now allow me to show you my latest invention…" Washu stopped when she noticed the little brown rabbit-thing perched on top of Sasami's head. "Hey is that _my_ Ryo-ohki?"

"What?" Sasami looked behind her. "What are you talking about?"

"Ryo-ohki!" Washu pointed at the cabbit on top of her head. "The little cat-rabbit I created almost a month ago! It's been missing all week! So that's were it's been! You stole her!"

"I'm sorry," Sasami took Ryo-ohki off her head and gazed at the little furball fondly. "We didn't know it was yours. We thought that we had discovered a new type of animal. She sure is cute isn't she?"

"Yeah-yeah," Washu said as she gestured with her gun. "The point is that's _my_ creation. Hand it over."

Sasami leaned over and opened her hands to let Ryo-ohki down, but the little cabbit refused to hop out of the child's hands. It hugged Sasami sadly. "Meow! Meow!" it whined pitifully.

"Don't give me that!" Washu sneered. "I created you! Get over here!"

"Mew," it whined, but it didn't move.

"Fine," Washu grunted as she put her revolver in her belt. "I was finished with you anyway. Sasami, Ryo-ohki's yours if you want her."

"Oh!" Sasami brightened up. "Thank you!"

So cheerful was Sasami's innocent face that Washu was unnerved for an instant. "Uh… yeah. As I was saying, you have arrived in time to witness my greatest creation! My earlier experiments were with animals but now I am ready to unveil my latest triumph! A human being!"

"What?" Tenchi gasped. "You've done it? You've finally done it?"

"Yes my darling," Washu smirked. "You left me because you thought I was crazy, but now I shall prove to you I know what I'm doing. It is time to bring my creation to life!"

"No wait!" Tenchi said. "I left you because you dared to play in God's domain!"

"Don't be such a killjoy," Washu said as she approached a large tank of murky water. "God created his domain for us to play in; otherwise, why would he create the universe in a way that conforms to natural laws?" She turned to her blonde assistant. "Mihoshi!" she ordered. "Power up the generator! Time to get this baby cookin'!"

"Ryo-ohki," Mihoshi said to the smiling Sasami. "That's a funny name. He looks more like a 'Whiskers' to me."

"I think so too," Sasami nodded.

"Hey Mihoshi!" Washu bellowed. "Front and center!"

"Whoa!" Mihoshi jumped and turned to face her employer.

"Two things: One, Ryo-ohki's a girl and two: Power up the generator you idiot! It's time to awaken my creation!"

"Yes master!" Mihoshi saluted before she dashed off to climb a short flight of steps that led to a mechanical apparatus of the like Tenchi and the others had never seen before. She used both hands to turn a large hand crank.

"_Mistress_, you idiot!" Washu called up after her.

"What does the crank do?" Tenchi asked.

"Wait for it," Washu retorted.

Outside, a large metal rod extended out of one of the towers of Castle Washustein up into the angry heavens. By this time the sky had burst open with a downpour that had enough force to knock the leaves off trees.

Back inside the lab, Mihoshi moved over to a second hand crank on a catwalk over the water tank. Turning the crank caused gears and pulleys to move and lower two metal prongs into the water.

"Now as the storm reaches its peak, all we have to do is wait!" Washu announced.

"Doctor," asked a fearful Ayeka, "is that a human body in that tank of water?"

"Yes it is, Ayeka!" Washu replied. "And soon I shall bring it to life! Above our heads, on the highest tower of Castle Washustein I have placed a lightning rod. When a bolt of lightning strikes, it will funnel the energy down into the tank of water in this very room, allowing the energy to course through my homemade human being and bring it to life! Just as Prometheus made his man out of clay I have made my person out of flesh!"

"Ew!" Sasami shuddered.

"Whose flesh?" Ayeka asked, afraid that Washu had murdered someone in her crazed plans to create life.

"Why _my_ flesh of course," Washu replied. "I want my creation to be perfect. And that of Hercules. On an archeological dig in Greece I found a sealed jar that contained the blood of Hercules, the legendary hero who was elevated after his death to become the Greek god of strength. My creation shall be a titan amongst mortal men! And all will look upon my creation and marvel!"

"Tenchi is right!" Ayeka exclaimed. "You are stark raving mad! Mihoshi, why do you work for this lunatic?"

"_You_ fired me for dropping the urn with your father's ashes!" Mihoshi sobbed.

"But our father isn't dead," Sasami said. "He's on a sailing trip. Ayeka fired you after the time Tenchi saw you in your underwear!"

"Certainly not!" A blushing Ayeka denied. "That is not what happened! I discharged her because she is incompetent!"

"I think that you fired her because Tenchi said she was pretty," said an indignant Sasami as she cuddled Ryo-ohki. "You felt threatened and the time Tenchi saw her in her underwear was the last straw."

"He had his arms around her!" Ayeka shrieked.

"That's right," Mihoshi nodded. "I never _did _thank you for catching me after I fell out of that three-story window, Tenchi." The blonde blushed and looked away. "Is it true? Did you _really_ say I was pretty?"

"Erg," Now it was Tenchi's turn to blush.

"Ahem," Washu cleared her throat obnoxiously. "Do you mind? We were talking about my creation. Not my fiancé's roving eyes."

"_My_ fiancé!" Ayeka protested. "Your _ex_-fiancé!

"Puh-_tate_-oh, Puh-_tot_-oh," Washu shrugged.

"Washu, you can't play God!" Tenchi scolded.

"Not this again," Washu groaned. "How many times to I have to tell you? Playing God is the reason we were put on this Earth! Would the compass have been invented if we didn't play God? Would the wheel? As a species, we create and destroy. We play God. That's what we do!" When she noticed the grim looks Tenchi, Ayeka and Sasami were giving her, she added, "Quite a good scene, isn't it? One woman crazy… and three very sane spectators!"

"What about me?" Mihoshi asked. "Where do I fit in?"

"You don't count!" Washu shouted irritably.

Suddenly a flash of light illuminated the tank of water as visible streams of electricity funneled down the two metal prongs that were lowered into the tank. The interior of the murky tank glowed revealing a nude human form within that twitched and shuddered under the onslaught of electricity.

After the glow faded, the group was nearly blinded as their eyes tried to adjust to the dim light of the lab. Spots danced before Tenchi's vision as movement was heard from the tank of water. Illumination from the lamps that Washu had placed around the tank exposed a human hand that emerged from the water to grip the side of the tank. The creature within pulled itself up to a sitting position that was enough to bring its head out of the water and gaze about the room.

When its head turned in the direction of Tenchi and the others Washu exclaimed. "It's moving! It's alive! It's alive! It's alive! Alive! By God! Now I know what it is like to _be_ God! Aha-ha-ha!"

_Next: It's Alive_


	6. It's Alive

_Galaxy 1001D presents:_

**Washustein; or the Modern Mad Scientist**

_Starring Washu Hakubi as Doctor Washu Fitzgerald von Washustein_

_Tenchi Masaki as Tenchi Mancini_

_Mihoshi Kuramitsu as Mihoshi Gerstell_

_Aeka Masaki Jurai as Ayeka Jurai_

_Sasami Masaki Jurai as Sasami Jurai_

_And Ryoko as the Monster-woman_

_Tenchi Muyo and all related characters are © AIC/Pioneer/Genon/Funimation. This story is written solely for entertainment and is not intended to make a profit in any way._

_Based on "Frankenstein; or, the Modern Prometheus" created by Mary Shelly_

_And "Tenchi Muyo" created by Masaki Kajishima_

_Chapter Six: It's Alive_

"It's moving!" shouted the raving Washu. "It's alive! It's alive! It's alive! Alive! By God! Now I know what it is like to _be_ God! Aha-ha-ha!"

"It's… It's…" Tenchi stammered.

"A girl!" Ayeka finished for him. "Washu, I thought you were going to create a _man_!"

"God already created man," Washu snorted. "Why make the clunky prototype when an improved model has already been designed? I made my homemade human a woman because I wanted it to be perfect! I wanted to make sure my creation would never…" suddenly she jumped over to Tenchi and shouted through a megaphone, "BREAK A WOMAN'S HEART!"

"Yah!" Tenchi clutched his ears and backed away as he grimaced in pain.

"Those eyes," Ayeka gasped as she stared at Washu's creation. "Those topaz yellow eyes. They're so unnatural…"

"We better get used to them Ayeka, because _we_ have weird looking eyes now too," Sasami muttered.

"Don't remind me," Ayeka grimaced.

"Mihoshi!" Washu ordered as she wrestled a hand crank under the tank. "Help me get it out of the tank!"

"Yes master!" Mihoshi nodded.

"Don't call me 'master'!" Washu growled as she loosened a valve that drained the water. Her creation just looked at her quizzically, her golden eyes blinking innocently. "My baby," Washu cooed as she climbed the steps to the catwalk to join the blonde at the top. "Okay help me grab its arms," Washu instructed. "Under the shoulders, like we practiced."

With the water emptied out of the tank, two sets of hardwood steps could be seen pressed up against the back of the tank. Washu and her assistant entered the tank and hoisted her creation out of the tank by lifting the naked woman up by her underarms and depositing her on a stool on the catwalk. A blanket was placed over the nude woman and then the Washu and Mihoshi walked her down the steps to a second bench at the floor level of the laboratory.

Washu turned to face the stunned Tenchi, Ayeka, and Sasami. "Behold! Feast your eyes on my creation! A woman I have built with my own hands! Endowed with the strength of Hercules and the intellect of its creator, it will lead the world into a new golden age! Behold, and tremble!"

The trio took a good look at the new arrival. Washu's creation was the same height as Tenchi, but seemed taller. Her body was curvy and well developed but slender, with long graceful limbs, a flat stomach and a full bosom. The woman's skin was smooth and unlined, like a baby's. The pupils of her eyes were a golden yellow color, and by the light of the lamps her hair appeared to be an unnatural greenish-white. Tenchi wondered if Washu had mixed up the blood of Pan for the blood of Hercules, for the woman had long flappy ears that gave her an inhuman appearance. Her head glanced about her like a bird's. Her face showed no expression aside of curiosity and attentiveness.

Tenchi, Ayeka and Sasami involuntarily moved closer to get a good look at her. The new human being looked at each of them in turn and blinked in curious objectivity. Everyone was so quiet that every movement seemed as loud as an explosion. The sounds of the distant storm could be heard even here, down below the foundation of Castle Washustein. The engrossed onlookers could hear a soft grunting from the creation's throat. Her lips trembled and she opened and closed her mouth a few times, as if to practice.

"What's this?" Washu's whisper seemed deafeningly loud. "Could it be? Less than two minutes old and already she is going to speak! She's amazing! I am such a genius!"

Suddenly two doll-size plush Washu's appeared on her shoulders.

"You are a genius, Washu!" the one on her right shoulder with the letter 'A' sewn on its blouse announced in a high chirpy voice.

"You've really outdone yourself, Washu!" the one on her left shoulder with the letter 'B' sewn on its blouse chimed in.

Her creation opened and closed her mouth a few times and then said, "Goo-goo ga-ga."

So flabbergasted was the redhead that she lost her footing and fell to the ground. Her two puppet-like dolls rolled off her shoulders and out of sight.

"Wha?" Tenchi gasped.

The naked woman poked a hand out of her blanket and seemed fascinated with her own thumb. Finally she stuck her thumb in her mouth and started sucking on it.

It was Ayeka who found her voice first. "Congratulations Doctor Washustein, you've created a five-foot-six-inch infant."

"Aw," Sasami walked right up and spoke to the cabbit she held in her arms. "I think she's cute, don't you Ryo-ohki?"

"Meow," the little furball nodded.

Suddenly the naked woman's hand shot out from her blanket and tore the frightened cabbit right out of Sasami's arms. Before anyone could react she took her thumb out of her mouth and tried to stuff Ryo-ohki between her jaws. The cabbit yowled in fear.

"Ryo-oak…Oh!" Sasami gasped as the savage woman spat the little furball out and sent it tumbling to the ground.

"Ryoko!" the naked woman said as she slid off the bench and out of her blanket to crawl naked about on all fours. The cabbit scrabbled to its feet and ran off towards the closed door.

"Hey you!" Washu commanded as she ran in front of her creation and spread her arms. "Don't go wandering off; you might hurt yourself…"

Before the little scientist could react her creation reached out and grabbed her by the lapels of her lab coat.

"Hey!" Washu shouted. "Let me go!"

Her creation seized Washu's head and started examining it, turning it to various angles in her study, each time causing a yelp of pain from the mad scientist.

"Hey! Ow! Don't just stand there you fools!" Washu shouted. "Help me before she rips my head off!"

Mihoshi ran up to help her mistress. "Now try to calm down, you don't want to rip your mommy's head off, do you, baby Washustein?" The blonde pulled the woman up to her feet, causing her to let go of her creator. "That's better," Mihoshi said as she let go of the naked woman. "Give your mother a chance to breathe and huh?"

The creation's arms flailed about helplessly before she fell down. The woman seemed confused as she rolled to a sitting position and then she started to cry. Tears trickled out of her eyes and she started wailing with thoughtless abandon.

"Oh! Oh! Don't cry!" Sasami walked forward to help her.

"Sasami!" Ayeka seized her sister in a fearful embrace. "Don't go near it! She doesn't know her own strength!"

"Meow!" an agreeing Ryo-ohki hissed from the door. It then turned to resume scratching to be let out.

"Don't cry," Mihoshi said comfortingly. "You aren't hurt. It's going to be okay." She put her arms around the feral female and rocked her back and forth.

"Washu! I don't believe you!" Tenchi scolded. "This is all your fault!"

"Whadda'ya mean?" Washu rubbed her neck painfully. "It didn't do anything to _you_!"

"Look at her!" Tenchi gestured at the naked cyan-haired woman being consoled by Mihoshi. "You've created a baby trapped in the body of a full grown woman! How is she ever going to lead a normal life?"

"It isn't going to have a normal life," Washu explained. "It's going to be carefully tutored and be at college level before the year is out. In five years, _it_ will be teaching _us_."

"My God!" Tenchi sneered. "Just listen to yourself!"

"What do you mean?" Washu took her hands off her throat to put them on her hips. "I want my creation to be great!"

"Don't you see?" Tenchi gestured in exasperation. "You're calling her 'it' or 'my creation.' You never call her 'she'; you call her 'it'! What kind of parent dehumanizes her own offspring?"

"WAAAH!" her cyan-haired creation howled.

"I feel sorry for her," Tenchi sighed. "She was made from hubris, not born from love. You've created a woman who will never fit in this world, someone who is cursed to be a stranger for the rest of her days. How is she supposed to find a place in normal society when she starts life as a grownup baby?"

"Aren't you listening?" Washu snarled. "That gal is a genius! It has its creator's intelligence. It isn't going to be an infant very long."

Tenchi glanced over to observe a fully-grown young woman rolling on the floor naked and sucking on her own toes.

"Oh yes," said a sarcastic Ayeka. "I am humbled by her great intellect. "Congratulations again Doctor Washustein. When the people from the madhouse come they won't know whether to take _you_ away or your _creation_. Come along Sasami. Let us go before this madwoman decides to turn us into centaurs or something."

"You can't leave now," Mihoshi protested. "In _this_ weather? You'd be lucky if you made it back to town!"

"She's right, and that really scares me," Washu sighed. "Mihoshi prepare rooms for our guests." She turned back to her infantile creation. "And you, young lady! Put some clothes on!"

"Ryoko!" Washu's creation said as she rolled around on the floor.

"Ryoko! Is that your name?" Sasami asked the feral female. "I'm Sasami! How do you do?"

"Ryoko!" Ryoko smiled.

"She's smiling!" grinned the cheerful blue haired girl. "I think she likes me!"

"Yeah, she's a little angel," Washu said dryly. "Come on you," she gestured at the woman Sasami had named 'Ryoko'. "Come on. Out the door and up the steps. Unless you want to live down here."

As soon as she opened the door, Ryo-ohki launched herself out and ran off. Washu's creation scampered after it on all fours.

"Ryoko!" Sasami shouted as she chased after them. "Don't hurt Ryo-ohki!"

"Lady Ayeka, I've got to dress baby Washustein, and I'm going to need your help," Washu said as they climbed the stairs. Her creation and Ryo-ohki were ahead of them, but they couldn't open the door at the top.

"At the risk of being a poor houseguest, why would I want to help _you_?" Ayeka retorted, still sore about being cursed with purple hair and red eyes.

"Fine, I'll ask Tenchi," Washu shrugged. "I know he'd never hesitate to help a damsel in distress. It will give us a chance to get reacquainted."

"Ooh, all right you harridan!" Ayeka scowled. "I'll help you dress your monster-woman, but you owe me!"

"Meow! Mew!" Ryo-ohki cried in fear as 'baby Washustein' picked her up and started petting her.

"Aw, look how gentle Ryoko is being with little Ryo-ohki!" Sasami cheered.

"Meow! Rowr!" With a Herculean effort, Ryo-ohki kicked herself free of the Washustein human's grasp and hopped into Sasami's arms.

The Washustein human blinked her topaz yellow eyes and smiled as she reached out for the frightened furball.

"Just a minute," Washu plucked the miserable cabbit from the child's grasp. "Let me borrow her for a minute, will you?" She brushed past her crawling creation and opened the door to the ground floor. "Here girl, do you like Ryo-ohki? You'll have to follow me!"

"Ryoko!" her infantile creation hooted as it scrambled after her.

"Awk!" Washu turned and dashed away. Her creation could go faster on all fours than she had expected. All in all, the mad scientist and her creation were quite a comical sight as the naked woman chased the little redhead down the hall and up another flight of stairs.

"God help us," Ayeka murmured as she and her sister followed.

In a dressing room, Washu had released Ryo-ohki and her creation was hugging and cuddling her. Tenchi had pulled an old steam trunk out the attic and Washu opened it with a key.

"Okay, some of my aunt's old clothes might fit her," Washu told Sasami and Ayeka. "We'd never be able to squeeze her into my clothes."

"You got that right," Ayeka grumbled. "You're so tiny that I've got bigger pieces of corn on my…"

"Okay, raise your arms like this," smiled Sasami as she raised her arms. "Woo…!" She wiggled her hands in the air.

"Woo…!" The naked woman mimicked her actions and raised her arms in the air and wiggled her fingers. Ryo-ohki used this opportunity to flee.

"Okay… now," Ayeka murmured as she and Washu moved forward with a diaphanous white gown in their hands.

Women's fashions from their mothers' day allowed a lot more freedom of movement than the current trend of corsets and whalebone hoop skirts. An evening gown at the turn of the century was often little more than a sheer nightgown. Known as the Empire dress style, the soft muslin dresses of 1800 clung to the body, highlighting the natural body outline, so stays were unpopular unless the figure demanded them.

'Baby Washustein' had so much energy, that it was unlikely they would be able dress her in more than a nightgown, or an archaic dress that appeared to be a nightgown. Dressing her was certainly a challenge. When they slipped the gown over her head, 'Baby Washustein' became claustrophobic and started struggling.

"Ow!" Ayeka gasped. "She elbowed me in the face!"

"She just has too much energy," Washu told her. "She'll calm down after a while. Yow!" the little scientist cried out when her creation kicked her away.

"Come… on…" Ayeka growled as she heroically struggled to get the wild woman's head through the appropriate opening in the gown. "Don't… make… this… difficult!" she said through clenched teeth. Washu rose to her feet and rejoined the fray.

A mane of cyan-white popped up as Ayeka struggled to get the feral female's arms through the correct holes. "Wah! Wah!" Tears trickled out of the woman's golden eyes as Ayeka and Washu struggled to dress her.

"Don't worry," Sasami consoled her. "Everything will be okay."

"You should be consoling _us_ instead of this monster-woman!" Ayeka sneered.

_Next: Don't Be a Baby_


	7. Don't Be a Baby

_Galaxy 1001D presents:_

**Washustein; or the Modern Mad Scientist**

_Starring Washu Hakubi as Doctor Washu Fitzgerald von Washustein_

_Tenchi Masaki as Tenchi Mancini_

_Mihoshi Kuramitsu as Mihoshi Gerstell_

_Aeka Masaki Jurai as Ayeka Jurai_

_Sasami Masaki Jurai as Sasami Jurai_

_And Ryoko as the Monster-woman_

_Tenchi Muyo and all related characters are © AIC/Pioneer/Genon/Funimation. This story is written solely for entertainment and is not intended to make a profit in any way._

_Based on "Frankenstein; or, the Modern Prometheus" created by Mary Shelly_

_And "Tenchi Muyo" created by Masaki Kajishima_

_Chapter Seven: Don't Be a Baby_

The late night dinner was a little strained. Washu was telling her captive audience how she created the being Sasami called 'Ryoko', giving a long lecture on proteins and amino acids that quite frankly no one could follow. As her top student, Tenchi should have been able to follow the basic theory but as it was he was distracted.

'Baby Washustein' was very distracting. Although the proportions and details of her features could be described as beautiful, the girl's face was as expressive as a chimpanzee's, capable of contorting into ridiculously exaggerated expressions at the drop of a hat.

She had a lot of energy too. Too much energy, while everyone else was tired after a stressful and busy day. As Mihoshi served the meal, Sasami and Ayeka heroically tried to feed the full-grown infant. Although she didn't seem to possess the strength of Hercules, Baby Washustein's unrestrained enthusiasm made the task of feeding her Herculean.

"Okay," Sasami said as she made slow circular gestures with a spoonful of porridge in front of the creation's nose. "The knight needs to enter the castle to save the fair damsel. Ta-rump-ta-rump-ta-rump-ta-rump!" she said as she made galloping noises and snaked the spoon into the creation's mouth.

"Now quit grabbing things and sticking them into your mouth!" Ayeka scolded as she held onto the new woman's arms. "That is disgusting, and if you want to taste something, Sasami is trying to feed you!"

"So you see, the deoxyribonucleic acid controls the intracellular pangenesis of all living things," the mad scientist lectured, seemingly oblivious to the Jurai sisters' heroic struggle to feed her creation. "The 'pangen' or 'gene' for short is the smallest particle representing a hereditary characteristic…"

"Washu how can you just sit there and give a lecture while the woman you created is being spoon-fed like a baby?" Tenchi asked her.

"I don't understand why you can't see the importance of my achievement," Washu huffed. "I have created life where there was none. I have created a fully-grown human being without being put out of commission for nine months. I have created a human who is smarter, faster, and stronger than your average woman and all you can do is criticize. I haven't bred a new breed of dog; I've created a new type of man!"

"That's the point!" Tenchi insisted. "She isn't a dog, or a unicorn, a hippogriff or any other creation from your menagerie! She's a human being! You say you've created a superior human, but the poor thing will be stuck in a freak show! She will never fit in normal society, you made her too weird!"

"Too weird?" Washu frowned. "Bite your tongue Tenchi! Baby Washustein is perfect!"

"Look at her!" Tenchi gestured. "What big ears she has!"

"All the better to hear you with."

"What about her eyes?" Tenchi asked. "They're as yellow as a lemon!"

"I wanted her to have superior vision, so I gave her the eyesight of an eagle," Washu shrugged. "Just think what fine soldiers her people will be. She'll be able to pick off an insect at two hundred yards."

"Soldiers?" Tenchi asked.

"Well, yeah," Washu shrugged. "I figure that after I die there will be enough of her kind to take over the world and usher in a new golden age."

"And you still wonder why I broke up with you?" Tenchi shook his head sadly.

"Yeah, I still can't figure it out…" Washu put her hand over her mouth and gazed up at the ceiling, becoming lost in thought.

"Washu, the point I'm trying to make is that Baby Washustein isn't a new race; she's an individual who is all alone in the world. You've created someone who isn't part of any race, religion, or nationality. She's doesn't even know how to feed herself. She isn't going to conquer the world."

"Why didn't I listen to my parents?" Washu sighed. "Instead of burying them alive so I could get the inheritance?"

Everyone at the table with the exception of her creation froze and stared at the redhead in silent horror.

"Huh?" Washu shook her head as if waking up from a dream. "Did I say that out loud?" Her cheeks blushed crimson as she sheepishly smiled. "Just pretend you didn't hear that."

"I will, otherwise I'll never get to sleep tonight," Ayeka announced.

"So, what have you decided to name her?" Tenchi asked, desperately attempting to make small talk.

"Who?" Washu asked, still distracted.

"Baby Washustein," Tenchi nodded to her creation who was burbling happily in her chair.

"Oh. Well when creating woman it's customary to call the first one 'Eve'," Washu replied.

"It's customary to create woman?" Tenchi commented sarcastically.

"You can't call her 'Eve'!" Ayeka argued. "That's too sacrilegious!"

"Why not?" Washu shrugged. "I knew a Spaniard called 'Jesus' once."

"Why don't we call her 'Ryoko'?" Sasami asked. "That's what she named herself."

"Ryoko!" Baby Washustein hooted.

"That's not what she named herself," Washu retorted. "She's just mispronouncing Ryo-ohki's name."

"Ryoko!" Baby Washustein reached out for a terrified Ryo-ohki. The little cabbit jumped off Sasami's head to scamper away into the darkness.

"I still think that we should call her 'Ryoko'," Sasami said. "It was her first word and it fits her."

"It's a good thing her first word wasn't 'underpants'." Washu muttered irritably. She addressed her creation in a commanding tone. "Eve, sit up straight and stop spitting up on Ayeka. Eve, I'm talking to you!"

Baby Washustein completely ignored her creator and flung a handful of porridge into the air.

"Ryoko, your mother's talking to you," Sasami said in a quiet voice.

The cyan-haired woman quieted and gave the child her full attention.

"Eve?" Tenchi said quietly. When there was no response he tried again. "Ryoko?"

Baby Washustein's head turned in Tenchi's direction and she smiled expectantly. Despite the unnerving feral qualities of the woman there was something innocent and likeable about her.

"I guess her name is 'Ryoko'," he announced. "She doesn't respond to any other name."

"Fine," Washu fumed. "Supper's over. It's time to turn in. Tomorrow you leave first thing in the morning. I want you guys to stay away from my experiment and stop introducing her to random influences."

Ryoko flung some more porridge into the air and this time it hit Washu in the face. "Woo-hoo!" Baby Washustein cheered.

"Certainly Washu," Ayeka said with acid dripping from her voice. "I'd like to see how you manage taking care of a full-grown infant by yourself."

"I have Mihoshi to help me," Washu said defensively as she cleaned herself with a handkerchief.

"Correction: _Two_ full-grown infants by yourself," Ayeka smirked.

At that moment, a crash of thunder shook the castle, causing everyone to jump in his or her seats. The storm that stranded Tenchi and the Jurai sisters sounded as if it was trying to break in. Sasami and Ayeka instinctively hugged each other and shivered.

Baby Washustein's reaction was just as explosive. She jumped _out_ of her seat and crawled across the table knocking glasses and trays over while whining like a dog.

"Now Ryoko!" Tenchi said as he rose to his feet and reached out to her. "Calm down! It's only thunder."

Ryoko reached out to Tenchi and he hoisted her off the table and into his arms. She wrapped her arms and legs around him and cried on his shoulder.

"There, there," he whispered in her ear. "Its all right. You're perfectly safe…"

Ryoko spit up on him.

"Yuck," he shuddered.

"Time for bed!" Washu announced as she rung a bell. "Mihoshi clear the table. We're going to turn in."

"Yes master," Mihoshi said as she appeared in the doorway.

"_Mistress_, you moron!" Washu snarled.

"Sorry master," Mihoshi apologized. "It won't happen again, Lord Washu."

The blonde yelped and ducked when the irate redhead threw a knife at her.

"Do you need any help tucking Ryoko in?" Tenchi asked.

"Sure, knock yourselves out," Washu shrugged.

"Miss Washu!" Ayeka stamped her foot indignantly. "You complain about us influencing your creation, but so far you haven't done a thing to take care of her! What Tenchi ever saw in such a heartless woman is a mystery to me!"

"Ayeka, the solution to five times five is mystery to you," Washu retorted.

"Five times five!" Mihoshi snapped her fingers. "I think I know this one!"

"Be quiet Mihoshi," Washu snapped. "If I want to her a moron talk, I'll pay a visit to the village idiot."

"I used to be a village idiot," Mihoshi sighed. "But I got fired. It was too bad; I was really good at it too."

For a moment everyone was quiet with the exception of Ryoko who was making little bubbly cooing noises. She had stopped crying and seemed fascinated with Tenchi's face. Although she still clung to him with her arms and legs wrapped around him, she freed one of her hands to paw at his nose and pull at his lips.

Ayeka put her hands on her hips and sighed in surrender. "All right, I give up. Somebody has to ask her. Mihoshi, how did you lose your job as village idiot?"

The dimwitted domestic squirmed uncomfortably. "Well, people kept mistaking me for a prostitute, so I was let go. They said I was giving the town a bad reputation."

"Mihoshi, you could give any community a bad reputation just by announcing your citizenship," Washu said disdainfully. "If a stranger met you in town they would think Ingolstadt was filled with nothing but brainless blonde bimbos who are dumb enough to think that a bridal shower is for washing bridals. Now clean up before I ask you to clear out."

"Yes Lord Washu!" Mihoshi saluted nervously.

"_Lady_ Washu!" the redhead shrieked irritably, causing her creation to leap to the floor and lope off on all fours in a convincing imitation of Ryo-ohki. "That's _Lady_ Washu you fool! Do I have to take off my blouse to prove that I'm a woman?"

"If you _did_ remove your blouse, I fail to see what that would prove," Ayeka sneered icily as Tenchi and Sasami chased Ryoko. "With you it is difficult to tell the back from the front."

"Keep it up, Ayeka and I'll introduce something into your bloodstream that will turn you inside out," the little scientist warned her.

"Talk like that and eliminating you will be self-defense and not murder," Ayeka retorted in an identically threatening tone.

"Okay, break it up girls," Tenchi said as he placed himself between them. "We're all tired and irritable right now. Let's just go to bed so that morning can come and we can get as far away from each other as possible."

"Will my hair and eyes ever get back to normal?" Ayeka asked.

"That depends," Washu smirked. "Are you still planning to marry Tenchi?"

"Well, purple is my favorite color I just don't know…" Ayeka said with false boredom. "My night vision has gotten really good since my eyes changed…"

"Hurgh!" Washu grunted in frustration. Despite her efforts, Ayeka was made of sterner stuff and could give back as much as she took. It was actually admirable in a frustrating irritating way. "You'll crack!" the redhead threatened. "You've got to! No one can hold out forever!"

"Just because you cracked doesn't mean that I will," Ayeka assured her. "Perhaps you should sleep with one eye open tonight, Miss Washu. _I_ certainly will…"

"Ayeka, we are guests in Doctor Washustein's house," Sasami pointed out.

"If we are guests then the good doctor needs to learn some lessons in hospitality," Ayeka sniffed. "But you're right. I shouldn't sink to her level. Good night Doctor Washustein," she said dryly. "Pleasant dreams."

"Yeah you too," Washu grunted. She looked around. "Hey, has anybody seen Baby Washustein?"

"She must have crawled away," Tenchi said as he glanced about the room. "I'm sorry I wasn't paying attention." He had been paying attention actually. Unfortunately he had been paying attention to Ayeka and Washu in case he had to intervene to keep their feud from escalating. To be honest, watching the two women he loved being so vicious to each other was cutting his heart in two. He had assumed that Mihoshi would be watching Ryoko. "Mihoshi, do you know where Ryoko is?"

The blonde housekeeper had been clearing the table by transferring the dirty dishes to a serving cart. "What?" Mihoshi gasped in surprise. "Ryoko's gone missing? Oh no! If anything happens to her, _I'll_ be the stupidest person in the house again!"

_Next: Sleepless Night_


	8. Sleepless Night

_Galaxy 1001D presents:_

**Washustein; or the Modern Mad Scientist**

_Starring Washu Hakubi as Doctor Washu Fitzgerald von Washustein_

_Tenchi Masaki as Tenchi Mancini_

_Mihoshi Kuramitsu as Mihoshi Gerstell_

_Aeka Masaki Jurai as Ayeka Jurai_

_Sasami Masaki Jurai as Sasami Jurai_

_And Ryoko as the Monster-woman_

_Tenchi Muyo and all related characters are © AIC/Pioneer/Genon/Funimation. This story is written solely for entertainment and is not intended to make a profit in any way._

_Based on "Frankenstein; or, the Modern Prometheus" created by Mary Shelly_

_And "Tenchi Muyo" created by Masaki Kajishima_

_Chapter Eight: Sleepless Night_

"Come on out of there, young lady!" Washu shouted at the cringing woman hiding in the wardrobe. "It is time to go to bed! Get out of there before I get the switch!"

"WAAH!" Baby Washustein howled from inside the wardrobe.

"Ryoko?" Sasami asked. "Could you come out? Ryo-ohki misses you."

The door to the wardrobe cracked open and a golden yellow eye could be seen looking out. Soon an arm reached out to blindly grope at the air.

"No-no," Sasami gently scolded as she held a struggling Ryo-ohki. "If you want to hold her you have to come out."

Ryoko leaned out of the wardrobe to reach for Ryo-ohki, but Sasami stepped backwards as she held the little cabbit, keeping the hybrid just out of Baby Washustein's reach. Tenchi and Ayeka tensed, ready to grab Washu's creation in case she tried to get away. Washu just put her hands on her hips and tapped her foot impatiently. Mihoshi stayed near the door, but it was unknown whether it was to keep Ryoko from getting out or simply to keep a safe distance in case a struggle should ensue.

Ryoko crept out of the wardrobe while keeping a grip on the door and reached out to the retreating Sasami. Presently she was distracted by Tenchi and Ayeka's close proximity. When thunder again was heard, she let go of the door and hugged Tenchi. Ayeka shuddered as the wild girl wrapped her arms and legs around her fiancé. In that diaphanous gown it was rather risqué, and the embrace between the two of them was almost… intimate.

"There, there, it's all right," he whispered in her ear as he carried her away from the wardrobe. "Washu, we might as well make this Ryoko's room. What do you think?"

"It will do for tonight," Washu shrugged. "I'm beat. We can move her to the room I prepared for her tomorrow." The little genius yawned and turned to walk to the door. "Well g'night all. I'm going to bed."

"Washu?" Tenchi said as he carried Ryoko over to a four-poster bed. "Aren't you going to tuck her in?"

"Huh?" Washu stopped at the door to turn and glare at Tenchi and her creation. "You've got three women with you! What do you need _me_ for?"

"Washu!" Mihoshi scolded. "She's your daughter! How can you be so heartless?"

"Did you say something you simpleton?" Washu growled at the blonde.

"Yes, Mihoshi," Ayeka nagged. "Keep quiet in the presence of your betters."

"Yes ma'am," Mihoshi sighed.

"Washu!" Ayeka abruptly scolded. "She's your daughter! How can you be so heartless?"

"Yes," Sasami grumbled in a vain attempt to deepen her voice. "That is really mean of you Doctor Washustein."

"She _is_ your own flesh and blood," Tenchi added as he attempted ignore the fact that Ryoko was trying to swallow his face. He turned his head so Baby Washustein could only slobber on his cheek. "Don't you… urnk! …think that maybe her mother should put her to bed?"

"Isn't that what nannies are for?" Washu grumbled.

Four sets of eyes stared at her disgust.

Washu sighed as she walked back over to the group. "Fine," she mumbled, "put her into bed and I'll kiss her goodnight."

Mihoshi opened the bed and Tenchi lowered Ryoko into it. He pulled the blankets over her and backed away allowing Washu to face her creation.

"Goodnight my darling," Washu leaned on the bed to bend over her cyan-haired creation, who was busy picking her nose. "Someday, when you're big and strong, we can conquer the world together. Until then close your eyes and get some sleep."

Ryoko stared at her booger, blinked twice, and then looked at her creator. She wiped her finger on Washu's blouse.

Washu shuddered and stood up, but when she saw the disapproving looks from the others she bent back down. "Goodnight Eve," she said as she leaned over to kiss Ryoko on the cheek.

Ryoko responded by putting her mouth around Washu's nose, causing the little scientist to leap backwards and back away.

"Okay, that's good for this evening," Washu said as she wiped her face with a handkerchief. "Put out the light after you go."

"Goodnight, Ryoko," Sasami kissed the feral female on the cheek and hugged her. "See you tomorrow."

Ryoko smiled and rubbed her cheek against the child's cheek.

"Goodnight monster-woman," Ayeka said as she hugged the wild woman and kissed her on the forehead. "Sleep tight."

Ryoko seemed positively elated with all the attention she was getting. She smiled sweetly and put her arm around Ayeka before the purple haired woman rose from the bed.

"Goodnight Baby Washustein!" Mihoshi cooed as she hugged Ryoko and kissed her on the cheek. "Don't let the bedbugs bite!"

Ryoko giggled and hugged Mihoshi and sloppily kissed her on the cheek back.

"Goodnight, Ryoko," Tenchi smiled as he sat on the side of the bed to embrace Washu's creation and kiss her goodnight. "Yah!" he cried as Ryoko seized him in a passionate embrace and pushed him off the bed. Ryoko landed on top of him and before he knew it, a physically mature woman wearing only a filmy nightgown was kissing him on the lips!

"Get off him!" Ayeka screeched as she grasped Ryoko's shoulders to pull her off the flustered medical student. "That's my fiancé, you overgrown infant!" she grunted as she heaved the amorous innocent back onto the bed. "And Tenchi!" the purple haired woman nagged. "How dare you! Ryoko's only a few hours old! Don't you Italians know anything about decorum?"

The blushing Tenchi could only shudder and wipe his mouth. He had never been French-kissed by a girl who was less than a day old before. He staggered to his feet, muttered "goodnight, Ryoko," and left.

Mihoshi and Ayeka extinguished the two oil lamps illuminating the room, and that brought an immediate reaction from Ryoko. "Wah! Aaugh! Oowah!"

"For crying out loud, we can't leave the lights on for you!" Ayeka complained. "You might burn the place down!"

"But she's afraid of the dark, poor thing," Mihoshi pointed out.

"With her eyes, she can probably see in the dark better than we can," Ayeka sniffed. "She can probably see as well as an owl or something."

"There, there, Ryoko," Sasami consoled her. "We're tired and we have to go to bed. If you need us we'll be right down the hall."

After the girls left, Ryoko shut her topaz yellow eyes so she wouldn't have to look at the darkness. She missed the flash of lightning that illuminated her bedchamber but her eyes opened wide when the rumble of thunder shook the room.

* * *

In the master bedroom, Washu lay her weary head down. It had been an exhausting day. She finally brought her creation to life and she had to deal with Tenchi and his bratty new fiancé. It had been so long since she had Tenchi in her house that she didn't know what to do with herself…

Washu's green eyes snapped open again. Tenchi was sleeping in her house! She might not get this opportunity again! What a perfect time to rekindle the relationship now that he was sleeping under her roof! So what if Ayeka caught them, any excuse to put a wedge between them was a good one.

Creeping down the hallway, Washu tiptoed to the guest room prepared for Tenchi. A candle wasn't necessary since she knew the halls so well. As quietly as possible, she opened the door and snuck in. Lightning from the outside briefly illuminated the room. The curtains to the four-poster bed were open, and someone was lying under the covers. Tenchi was there!

When the rumble of thunder shook the house it covered Washu's silent footsteps perfectly. The little redhead climbed the little stepladder and slid under the covers to put her arms around her beloved. Under the cover of darkness, she planted a kiss on startled lips and whispered, "Tenchi my darling little pepperoni, I've missed you so much…"

Suddenly Washu saw so many stars that she could have been in her observatory in the east tower. Someone had struck her chin with such force that the little genius tumbled out of the bed to fall onto the floor. When the world had stopped spinning, she noticed that someone had lit an oil lamp illuminating the room. Clutching her injured face, Washu staggered to her feet to see who was in the bed.

Staring back at her with angry ruby-red eyes was Lady Ayeka Jurai. "And just what are _you_ doing in here?" the angry aristocrat snarled. "I thought Tenchi told you to leave us alone!"

"I could ask you the same thing," Washu growled. "Whatever happened to saving yourself for marriage?"

Ayeka blushed and looked away. "I… I got frightened. Being alone in this house. The house of a madwoman… I wanted to check on Tenchi to make sure he'd be safe…"

"By waiting for him in his bed?" Washu smirked. "You didn't want to consummate your relationship with him under my roof just to spite me or anything did you?"

"Certainly not!" Ayeka clenched her fists angrily, but blushed again when it became obvious that no one would believe that statement. "Anyway, it's none of your business! Tenchi and I are engaged to be married and nothing you say or do will make any difference anyhow!"

"That's what you think," Washu said through clenched teeth. "Don't give yourself away too quickly, Ayeka. It's not over yet."

The door from the hallway opened to reveal Tenchi wearing a nightshirt and holding a candle. "What are you two doing here?" the Italian medical student asked. "I thought this was my room."

"Tenchi darling she's picking on me," Washu teased in her cute 'baby voice'. "She hit me in dark when I wasn't looking."

"I was protecting you from being molested by this madwoman!" Ayeka insisted. "She was sneaking in here to seduce you!"

"You're the one in his bed, Ayeka," Washu smirked. "Just who was trying to do the seducing?"

"Urk!" The blushing Ayeka slipped out of his bed and straightened her pink nightclothes. "Er uh, anyway... Where were you, Lord Tenchi?"

Now it was Tenchi's turn to blush. "Oh, I'm afraid with all of this stress our late night supper didn't agree with me," he replied as he looked away and scratched the back of his neck. "After the rest of you went to bed I went to the restroom."

"Well Tenchi darling, now that you've freshened up…" Washu snuggled against his hip flirtatiously.

"Leave Lord Tenchi alone, you madwoman," Ayeka snapped as she grabbed Washu's ear and walked out of the room, dragging the hapless scientist after her. "Let Lord Tenchi get his rest, for pity's sake."

"If you don't let go of me you're going to be resting in pieces!" Washu warned as she pried herself free of Ayeka's grip.

"Girls, please, it's too late for all this," Tenchi put himself between the two rivals. "Why don't we each separate and go back to our own rooms, all right? We can decide whether we want to kill each other in the morning."

"Okay," Washu nodded surrendering gracefully. "Sweet dreams, Tenchi." She turned around and strutted as sexily as possible back to her room.

"Goodnight, Lord Tenchi," Ayeka put her hands on his cheeks and kissed him chastely on the lips. "Be safe, my love." She released him and turned around and walked daintily back to her room.

Tenchi looked left and then right to make sure that both girls were going back to bed, then yawned and turned to reenter his room. He had to admit that the sight of both Ayeka and Washu in his bedroom was titillating, but decency, common sense and exhaustion told him that sending them away was for the best.

He opened the bed and got in without even bothering to extinguish the oil lamp. He was surprised to discover how easy it was to relax. He was so tired that not even the booming thunder could keep him up…

Suddenly the door burst open and a lean figure scrambled into the room on all fours. Before he could react, Ryoko quickly crawled under the covers and hugged him tight.

"Ah!" Tenchi cried as he woke up. "Oh it's you, Ryoko. I'm sorry. I didn't mean to yell at you." He stopped when the dim light from the oil lamp revealed the tears under the girl's golden eyes.

"What's the matter?" he said in a quieter voice. "Are you scared? There's no need to be frightened. It's only thunder. We're safe in here. Castle Washustein has more lightning rods than Benjamin Franklin's house. We're perfectly safe. Nothing can get us in here."

Ryoko didn't make a sound, but trembled and hugged him as tenderly as a lover.

"I understand," he murmured in her ear. "The whole world must be awfully confusing. Between you and me, this place is more confusing than normal. I assure you, things aren't as bad as they seem…"

He gasped in embarrassment as Ryoko rubbed herself against his body. She was keeping her arms and legs wrapped around him while trying to get comfortable. To his alarm, parts of his body were waking up, particularly the parts used for reproduction! He tried to pry the cyan-eyed girl off him but she held on tight. "Uh…" he stammered. "Still got a lot of energy do you?" he giggled nervously. "I don't blame you. You haven't been up as long as the rest of us…"

His voice trailed off when he realized that she hadn't been alive for most of the day, let alone awake! The thought of being seduced by a girl who was less than five hours old was nauseating! He would have to pry her off him without making her feel rejected. God help him if anybody saw them this way…

Sasami's voice broke his train of thought. "Tenchi, I'm frightened. Ayeka isn't in her room, is she in here with you?"

Two sets of eyes stared back at the little girl, Tenchi's brown eyes and Ryoko's yellow ones.

"Wow!" Sasami hugged the brown and furry Ryo-ohki in surprise. "What are you doing with Ryoko, Tenchi? Are you two in love? What should I tell Ayeka?"

Tenchi started sniveling as he hid his face in Ryoko's shoulder. The feral female looked at him in concern and kissed his ear before snuggling with him and making comforting noises.

_Next: Flowers in the Pond_


	9. Flowers in the Pond

_Galaxy 1001D presents:_

**Washustein; or the Modern Mad Scientist**

_Starring Washu Hakubi as Doctor Washu Fitzgerald von Washustein_

_Tenchi Masaki as Tenchi Mancini_

_Mihoshi Kuramitsu as Mihoshi Gerstell_

_Aeka Masaki Jurai as Ayeka Jurai_

_Sasami Masaki Jurai as Sasami Jurai_

_And Ryoko as the Monster-woman_

_Tenchi Muyo and all related characters are © AIC/Pioneer/Genon/Funimation. This story is written solely for entertainment and is not intended to make a profit in any way._

_Based on "Frankenstein; or, the Modern Prometheus" created by Mary Shelly_

_And "Tenchi Muyo" created by Masaki Kajishima_

_Chapter Nine: Flowers in the Pond_

"Good morning Ryoko," Sasami yawned when she was fully awake. Last night, when Ryoko didn't want to sleep alone, Sasami had graciously let her share a bed with herself and Ryo-ohki. To be honest, the blue haired child didn't want to sleep alone in a strange bed in a strange house during a thunderstorm either.

Ryoko stretched and rolled out of the bed to follow Sasami out the door. Sasami paused outside the restroom to say, "You can't come in. You'll have to wait your turn."

"Mew…" At Ryoko's side was the kitten-rabbit creature Ryo-ohki. The little cabbit had made peace with her fellow creation last night and now extended a paw towards Ryoko in sympathy. As Sasami entered the restroom, Ryo-ohki turned and loped down the hall towards the staircase.

After the child closed the door on the overgrown innocent, Ryoko turned her head left and right to survey her surroundings and assess her options. She noticed Washu leave her room and more importantly, leave the door open. When Washu approached, Ryoko scampered past her on all fours to duck into her creator's bedroom.

"I wonder what she wants in there?" Washu asked herself. She tried the door to the restroom, but it was locked. "Is somebody in there?" she asked.

"I'll be out as soon as I can," Sasami's tiny voice answered.

"Don't worry about it, Sasami, I'll try the one on the ground floor," Washu assured her. As she walked away, she marveled at how polite she was to the sister of her hated rival. Sasami was so sweet that she didn't even seem resentful of her blue hair and pink eyes. Maybe after she married Tenchi Washu would make a potion that would restore the child's hair and eyes to their natural color…

The mad doctor passed Ayeka who was also on her way to the restroom. The purple haired aristocrat snorted and looked away as she passed the little scientist and refused to acknowledge her presence. After Washu married Tenchi she would restore Ayeka back to normal too, but it would be a while, maybe quite a while.

Later in the dining room Mihoshi came out with a fresh tray of food. "Come and get it!" she called. Next to soft-boiled eggs, cereal and fruit she placed a tray of cold meats (including one-of-a-kind hippogriff sausage) and cheeses alongside a variety of breads and sweet toppings of jam, marmalade and honey. A plaintive meowing caught her attention. "Oh don't worry Ryo-ohki, I haven't forgotten you!" the cheerful blonde assured her before she bent over to place a dish of carrots on the floor.

"Yaaugh!" Washu's voice screamed with the horror of the damned, causing Mihoshi to jump and the rabbit-like Ryo-ohki to scamper under the table. "What is _this_?" Washu's shrill voice demanded.

Upstairs, Tenchi was the first one on the scene. "Washu?" he cried as he opened the door. "Are you all right?"

"Get me to the bathroom," Washu snarled as she hopped around on one foot.

After she had washed her foot off, Washu was still frothing mad. "I can't believe it!" she snarled at the breakfast table. "How many Easter eggs did that big baby leave for me? Even Ryo-ohki uses her bunny box! You have been a bad, bad, girl young lady! Do you hear me?"

Ryoko was eating the pieces of sausage that Sasami had cut up into little bites and paying no attention to her creator's rant whatsoever.

"It's not her fault," Tenchi protested. "She's still less than a day old, and you never taught her how to use the restroom properly."

"I know that the natural processes of the human body is no taboo for the two of you," Ayeka said to the medical student and his insane professor, "but couldn't this topic wait until we have finished eating?"

"I caught her wiping her butt on the carpet!" Washu continued, causing the Jurai sisters to flinch. "My expensive, one of a kind, Persian carpet! Ruined! She scooted along on it like a dog or something!"

"Well you have to admit, it did get her nice and clean," Sasami pointed out.

"She hid her little buried treasure in my closet!" Washu complained. "I went inside to get some clothes and stepped in it!"

"Well it's your fault," Ayeka snapped. "It was your idea to bring her into the world fully grown. If she was a baby she would be small and manageable but now she's big, and can make really big messes. You better get used to this because you're going to have to take care of her until her mind catches up with her body. Taking care of a baby is a lot of work and taking care of little Ryoko is going to be a whole lot more. I hope you have a lot of time and patience Doctor Washustein. You're going to need it."

"Oh no!" Washu bowed her head and covered her face with her hands. "My life has become a horror story!"

"Don't worry," Tenchi said. "I'm sure her brain is more developed than most infants her age. I'm sure she'll be able to learn things fast and grow up quickly. She'll probably be mentally mature in no time."

"What did you say?" Washu looked up to stare at her ex-fiancé.

"I said that she'll be mentally mature in no time," Tenchi repeated.

"That gives me an idea!" Washu stroked her chin thoughtfully. "I think I see a way out of this…"

"A way that doesn't involve abandoning her?" Ayeka asked skeptically.

"Yes, you ingrate!" Washu snarled. "A way that doesn't involve abandoning her. All I have to do is finish her. My creation is still in the larval stage."

"I don't like the sounds of this," Sasami said defensively, her innocent face frowning in displeasure.

After the morning meal Washu led Mihoshi to a storeroom at the base of the west tower. "Come on Mihoshi! Help me out with this!" she said as she pulled out a cargo dolly and handed it to her befuddled domestic. "We've got to clean out the incubation vats and install the machine that is disassembled in these boxes here. I want that machine assembled and ready for testing by the end of the day, got it?"

"But Doctor Washustein, what about little Ryoko?" Mihoshi asked. "Who's going to take care of her while we're redoing the lab?"

"Curses!" Washu swore as she clenched her fists in frustration. "I'll just have to ask my houseguests to stay a while."

"The houseguests?" Mihoshi asked. "You mean the houseguests you wanted to leave so they wouldn't introduce Ryoko to random elements? _Those_ houseguests master?"

"Yes, _those_ houseguests!" Washu snarled in frustration. "They seem to have formed a bond with little Eve and I don't have a lot of choice in the matter! We'll just have to play the cards we've got!"

"Ryoko," Mihoshi corrected.

"What?" Washu looked up at her housekeeper.

"Baby Washustein's first name is 'Ryoko', master. Not 'Eve'," Mihoshi explained. "She won't respond to any other name."

"I'm starting to figure out why you've been fired from every other job…" Washu muttered.

"Oh please don't fire me!" Mihoshi cried, transforming from responsible adult into helpless child in the blink of an eye. "Please-please-please! I promise I'll be good!" she sobbed as she knelt on the ground and hugged her employer. "I promise!"

"Let… go…!" Washu grunted as her face turned blue. "Can't… breathe…!"

"Oops!" Mihoshi recovered from her fit and released the hapless Doctor Washustein, who collapsed on the floor like a sack of potatoes.

Outside, Ayeka was helping Tenchi hitch the horses to her carriage. "Come on Sasami!" Ayeka shouted. "We are leaving!"

"We can't leave poor Ryoko all alone!" Sasami protested. "She can't take care of herself! Can't we take her with us?"

"Certainly not, Miss Washu can take care of her," Ayeka sniffed. "It will teach that madwoman responsibility."

"Your sister's right, Sasami," Tenchi shrugged. "Technically Ryoko is Washu's daughter. Legally we have no right to take her with us."

"But Washu's going to do something horrible to poor Ryoko, I just know it!" Sasami pouted.

Both Tenchi and Ayeka paled at that statement. Deep in their hearts they wouldn't put it past the mad scientist.

"I'm sure she wouldn't hurt her own flesh and blood," Tenchi said lamely.

"I'm not so sure," Sasami sulked. "I think that we should stick around and take care of her."

"Sasami, I am not going to spend another moment with that woman!" Ayeka's voice was frightened rather than angry. No matter how much Ayeka claimed to be an unyielding authoritarian, deep down she was really softhearted. It was one of the things that Tenchi loved about her.

"Oh please…?" Sasami begged. "Couldn't we take her with us? She doesn't exist anywhere, nobody knows who she is. We could say that she's a cousin who was dropped on her head. If Washu says anything, it is her word against ours!"

"Please Sasami," Ayeka turned away to hide the tears she was blinking away. "Don't put me in this position! I didn't create that poor creature, Washu did! Don't make me take responsibility for that woman's actions!"

"Sasami's gone!" Tenchi shouted when he looked up from hitching the carriage to the horses. "Where did she go?"

"Sasami?" Ayeka put her hand to her mouth and looked around.

At the edge of a nearby pond, Sasami was crouching down besides Ryoko, idly picking some tiny wildflowers in her frustration. Ryo-ohki sat nearby.

"I'm sorry Ryoko, I have to go away," she said sadly to the one-day-old girl. "Ayeka won't let me stay. I'm afraid that something scary will happen to you while I'm gone."

Ryoko hugged Sasami and sniveled. Apparently she understood enough to realize that Sasami was leaving.

"Don't cry Ryoko," the child told the infantile adult. "It's okay. Everybody goes away. My daddy went on a sailing trip and he hasn't come back yet, but he assured me that he would." She spun a tiny bloom in her fingers and tossed it into the pond. "See, just because it floats away doesn't mean that it's gone forever. You can still see it. Even if you couldn't see it, it would still be there."

With a curious look on her face, Ryoko plucked a wildflower, spun it in her fingers and tossed it in the water. It landed stem up, like Sasami's did, the petals of the flower forming a tiny raft. Ryoko smiled at her accomplishment.

"You want to throw flowers in the water?" Sasami asked her. "Okay."

One by one they took turns plucking the tiny flowers growing in the grass and tossing them in the pond. Pretty soon they had completely defoliated the tiny scrubby plant.

"Oh dear it looks like we're out of flowers," Sasami's pink eyes looked down at the deflowered weed. "What are we going to throw now?"

Ryoko looked at Sasami's light skyblue hair. It was almost the same color as the flowers they had thrown. Before Sasami could react Ryoko picked the girl up and rose to her feet.

"Hey!" the little girl struggled in Ryoko's grip. "Wait! Wait!"

It was no use. The childlike Ryoko tossed the screaming girl into the pond, causing a loud splash.

"Help!" Sasami gasped as she thrashed around in the water. "I can't swim!"

"Aaugh!" Ryoko screamed in horror. She ran into the water to rescue the child, but she couldn't swim either. Now there were two girls thrashing about in the water while the cabbit meowed helplessly.

"Sasami?" Ayeka's voice called as she walked over the grassy hill to the pond. "Sasami!" Ayeka shrieked. "Tenchi! Come quickly!"

Tenchi ran up when he heard Ayeka's screams. "Sasami!" he cried. "Oh my gosh!" He dashed forward and dove into the pond to save the little girl.

In the meantime Ayeka picked up a tree branch and offered it to the flailing Ryoko. "Ryoko!" Ayeka called. "Grab a hold!"

When Ryoko grabbed the end of the long stick, Ayeka dug her heels into the damp earth and used both hands to pull with all of her might. She saw Tenchi carrying Sasami out of the water with her peripheral vision.

"Sasami!" Ayeka cried as she released the stick, causing Ryoko to fall backwards into the water again. "Tenchi! How is Sasami?"

Remembering his medical training, Tenchi pushed on Sasami's diaphragm to force the water out of her lungs. He was rewarded be the bedraggled girl's coughing and gasps for air. "She's breathing," Tenchi sighed. "Thank Heaven."

"Sasami! Sasami!" Ayeka hugged the child and made her sit up. "Are you all right? Speak to me!"

"I… Ayeka…" Sasami coughed.

"Sasami, what happened?" her sister asked. "What possessed you to go into the water?"

"Ruh… Ryoko threw me in…" Sasami gasped.

"Ryoko?" Ayeka frowned and turned her head to see Washu's creation crawling out of the pond. "That monster-woman? We trusted her and she tried to murder you!"

"No Ayeka it was an accident!" Sasami shook her head. "When she saw what she'd done, she came in after me!"

"I guess she really _is_ Washu's daughter after all," Ayeka sneered. "Not even a day old and she tried to take you out of the picture! Well she's Doctor Washustein's problem now! Come on, Tenchi. Let's get Sasami out of here!"

"Okay," Tenchi nodded. "You get Sasami to the carriage while I get Ryoko back inside. If we turn our backs she might drown herself."

"Have it your own way," Ayeka sniffed as she pulled Sasami up to her feet.

"Goodbye, Ryoko," Sasami waved. "I'll miss you. Goodbye!"

"Meow!" Ryo-ohki howled mournfully.

"Sauce me!" Ryoko cried as Tenchi picked her up. Ryoko's hand reached out to Sasami as Tenchi carried her away. "Sauce me!"

"Don't cry, everything's going to be okay," Tenchi told her as he carried Ryoko inside the great hall of Castle Washustein. Ryoko had cried nearly the entire way. "I have to go now, but I'll be back to check up on you."

"There you are!" Washu glowered as she and Mihoshi entered the room. "And where have you been young lady? We've been worried sick about you. Look at you, you're soaking wet!"

"I pulled her out of the pond," Tenchi said as he set Ryoko down on a couch. "Well goodbye," he said as he turned to go. He didn't want to go into a lengthy explanation or get in a confrontation with Washu. His progress was impeded when Ryoko grabbed a hold of his leg.

"Ten chee…" Ryoko said with teary eyes.

"I'm sorry Ryoko, I have to go," he said gently as he freed himself from her grip. "Please don't make this any harder on me. I can't stay. Goodbye." Tenchi turned to hide his tears as he walked outside.

Ryoko reached out for him as Washu and Mihoshi seized her by the shoulders. "Ten chi!" she shouted. "TENCHI…!"

_Next: Throw the Switch!_


	10. Throw the Switch!

_Galaxy 1001D presents:_

**Washustein; or the Modern Mad Scientist**

_Starring Washu Hakubi as Doctor Washu Fitzgerald von Washustein_

_Tenchi Masaki as Tenchi Mancini_

_Mihoshi Kuramitsu as Mihoshi Gerstell_

_Aeka Masaki Jurai as Ayeka Jurai_

_Sasami Masaki Jurai as Sasami Jurai_

_And Ryoko as the Monster-woman_

_Tenchi Muyo and all related characters are © AIC/Pioneer/Genon/Funimation. This story is written solely for entertainment and is not intended to make a profit in any way._

_Based on "Frankenstein; or, the Modern Prometheus" created by Mary Shelly_

_And "Tenchi Muyo" created by Masaki Kajishima_

_Chapter Ten: Throw the Switch!_

"Mihoshi, get in here!" Washu bellowed from her basement lab.

"Coming, Master!" Mihoshi dutifully answered.

"_Mistress_, you idiot!" Washu growled.

"Oops," the blonde cowered as she entered the lab. "Sorry Master, it won't happen again."

"Urg!" the redhead snarled, a vein bulging on her forehead. "You have got to be the most… Never mind! Bring Baby Washustein in here! I'm nearly ready to copy and transfer my brainwaves over to Eve."

"Ryoko," Mihoshi corrected.

"EVE!" Washu roared. "_Eve_ you idiot! And I am a 'mistress' not a 'master'! Is that too hard for a pinhead like you to understand?"

"Oh no!" Mihoshi smiled. "Even a pinhead like me can get it, master. I'll go get little Ryoko…"

"Eve!"

"Oops," the blonde blushed. "Sorry master. I won't call her 'Ryoko' again." She walked over to the doorway and shouted out of it. "Hey Ryoko! Would you come in here please! Oh Ryoko! Your mother wants you!"

"Erg…!" Washu growled as she put her hand on her aching forehead. "The last week has been impossible! Seven hours of work has taken us seven days! We can't get anything done because we have to stop everything to take care of that overgrown infant!"

"Well taking care of a baby is a full time job you know," Mihoshi said in an understanding tone. "It's hard being a single mother. It doesn't really leave a lot of time for other things."

"If I have to change another diaper I'll cut my nose off!" Washu grumbled. "And that girl is so selfish! She acts like it's all about _her_!"

"Well of course she does," Mihoshi shrugged. "I mean, she may look like a full-grown woman, but she's just a baby. She really can't take care of herself you know."

"And it seems like every day she wants food-food-food!" Washu continued. "She acts like I gotta feed her three times a day or something!"

"Well three times a day _is_ normal," Mihoshi suggested gently.

"But the more she eats the more she poops!" Washu sniveled. "I don't know how much more I can take!"

"It's not so bad," the blonde said in a cheerful tone. "She really doesn't dirty that many diapers you know."

"That's because she doesn't like wearing 'em!" Washu shuddered. "Most of the time she just leaves her little buried treasures behind the furniture! I just can't stand it anymore! The sooner that girl grows up, the better!"

* * *

Upstairs, Ryoko had found her creator's art supplies. After checking to see if the paints were edible, she discovered the purpose for the strange dyes. It wasn't long before she was finger painting on the kitchen floor. She created three little stick figures. The tallest one she gave legs and a black dot for a head. To the middle one she gave a purple circle for a head. Instead of legs she made a crude triangle at the bottom of the figure. The shortest figure had a triangle for legs and a blue head. As an afterthought she painted two curvy lines out of the blue circle representing the head. Next to it she painted a tiny brown blob with two short straight lines coming out of it.

Ryoko stared at her creations and whined. "Ten… chi…" she sniveled as she put her paint stained fingers on the stick figures she painted. "Ee kuh… Sauce me… Ree oh kee…" A tear trickled out of her golden eye.

"Oh Ryoko!" Mihoshi's voice called. "Where are you…? Your mother needs you… right now…"

Scampering about on all fours, Ryoko followed Mihoshi's voice. Mihoshi's voice usually meant food, hugs or a clean nightgown to wear.

"Eve, where are you?" Washu shouted.

Ryoko scooted to a stop and looked for a place to hide. Washu's voice usually meant spanking, confinement, or probing in sensitive places.

"Oh… Ryoko, there you are!" Mihoshi smiled. "Come over here, will you? Your mother needs to see you."

* * *

Soon Mihoshi was dragging a struggling Ryoko into the lab. The blonde domestic had the feral woman by the feet as Ryoko's hands were clawing at the floor trying to find a handhold.

"Here she… unh, …is master!" Mihoshi grunted as she put her legs against the doorframe and pulled to get Ryoko inside. "Just like you ordered!"

"Good, strap her down in that chair there," Washu ordered.

"Oh… hunh, …kay master, you can count on me!" Mihoshi nodded as she dragged Ryoko over to a large chair covered with leather straps.

"_Mistress_, you moron!" the mad doctor growled.

"Oops! Sorry master! Won't happen again!" Mihoshi said as she tried to get Ryoko to sit in the chair. "Now hold still, Ryoko! I'll give you a piece of candy if you hold still all right?" The blonde pulled out a candy cane and waved it enticingly before the cyan haired woman. "It's peppermint, isn't it just delicious? Now if you just sit still I'm going to give it to you all right?"

She handed the confectionary to the golden-eyed girl, who sniffed it suspiciously. Ryoko sniffed it, shook it to see if it would rattle, then stuck one end of the candy cane in her mouth.

"Oh… kay…" Mihoshi cooed as she strapped the feral girl into her chair. "You just sit tight and enjoy your candy while your mother and I do grownup work, okay? I'll just strap you in so you don't run off 'till we're done!"

"Excellent Mihoshi," Washu rubbed her hands together sinisterly. "Soon my plan will be completed!"

"Um, what exactly _is_ your plan, anyway Doctor Washustein?" asked the befuddled blonde.

"It's simple, really," the redhead replied. She pointed up. "You see the apparatus above the two chairs?"

Mihoshi looked up at the strange machinery above the two chairs in the center of the lab. "Yeah, it looks like two silver bowls are hanging upside-down above the seats."

"Those are special helmets of my own invention," Washu smiled. "The one on the right records the neural engrams of the brain, while the one of the left that Eve is sitting under implants the engrams in_to_ the brain! In this way I'll be able to record my mind data and implant it into baby Washustein. Am I a genius or what?"

Washu's two homunculi appeared on her shoulders. "You are a genius Washu!" the one on her right shoulder with the letter 'A' on its blouse proclaimed.

"You are the greatest!" the one on her left shoulder with the letter 'B' on its blouse agreed.

"Oh those little guys are so cute!" Mihoshi reached out to touch them.

"Hey! Hands off!" Washu sneered as her two doll-like familiars disappeared into her cascading crimson ponytail. "Get your mind back on the job! Do you understand what we're doing?"

"Not really," Mihoshi admitted. "It sounds as if you want to transfer your mind from one body to another."

Washu's eyes opened in surprise. "What a great idea!" she gushed. "Why didn't I think of that? No, I'm only going to make a copy of my mind data. That way my creation will be able to do basic things like talk, walk, and care for herself. Hopefully she will be able to read and write as well!"

The blonde maid frowned in thought. "Hm," she mused. "If you put a copy of your mind into her brain, won't she be exactly like you? I mean, she'll think her name is Washu von Washustein won't she? Then there will be two of you!"

"I wish," Washu grumbled. "If I could transfer such an exact copy, I really _would_ be able to transfer one mind into another body. No, the imprint of my mind data that will be transferred won't be anywhere near so precise. The problem is that the mental patterns of recipient always mess up the information sent from one brain to another."

"'Always mess up?'" Mihoshi repeated. "Uh… Washu? Do you mean that you've done this before?"

"Of course," Washu shrugged. "Otherwise I would have to design and build the equipment from scratch, and not just assemble it. I've performed dozens of experiments with… near success."

"'Near success?'" Mihoshi paled. "What do you mean by that?"

"Oh uh…" Washu blushed and looked away. "Back in Switzerland I left behind about fifty people who stand in a corner and do nothing but…" the demented redhead stuck out her tongue and clapped her hands while making rude sounds known as 'the raspberry.'

"Uh, not to pass judgment or anything but how is that going to help?" Mihoshi asked. "I mean we'd still need to clean her diapers and everything…"

"What went wrong in those cases is that when the new data mixed with the old they just turned all the information in the brain into complete gibberish," Washu clarified. "When my mental engrams enter Baby Washustein's cranium, there shouldn't be that much distortion. She's only been around a week, y'know."

"Oh I see," Mihoshi put her thumb and forefinger to her chin as she nodded.

"Her brain is mostly empty and since I used my own ovum to create her the similarity in our brain structure should increase the chances of success!" Washu paused to curb her enthusiasm and study her assistant. "You don't get it do you?"

"Uh…" Mihoshi made a sniveling sound, since she really wanted to appear that she understood.

"Get out of my way," Washu sighed as she made her way to a bulky platform with levers on top and cables snaking out of the front to connect to various machinery. "Okay, I managed to charge the batteries during last week's lightning storm so they should be charged for at least one attempt…"

"Batteries?" Mihoshi asked.

"Yeah," Washu shrugged. "Benjamin Franklin coined the term because it takes so many of them to hold any kind of charge that you need a whole bunch of them, like a battery of cannons, get it?" The petite redhead pointed to a collection of bulky copper pots that were sealed at the top and had metal cables attached to knobs on the lids. "They work by converting chemical energy into electrical power, but the science is still new. Although Luigi Galvani first discovered electrochemical power while dissecting frogs it was Alessandro Volta who first invented the electrochemical cell. Last year John Daniell managed to eliminate the hydrogen bubble problem by… wait a minute, you aren't following any of this, are you?"

"Not really," Mihoshi said quietly as she put her hands together and bowed her head in shame.

"Look all you gotta know is that the information will be transferred by an electrical process…" Washu stopped as she searched for a simpler way to explain it to her terribly uneducated assistant. "Look, we're getting the power from those copper pots with the copper cables attached to them, okay? You'll notice that I wrapped the cables in rubber and surgical gauze to insulate them, but whatever you do, don't touch them or you'll probably electrocute yourself, all right?"

"Rubber?" Mihoshi scratched her head. "You mean the stuff they make erasers out of?"

"Yeah, it's surprisingly nonconductive," Washu smiled. "Talk about dumb luck, huh? Who knew it could be used to insulate electrical wiring?"

"Yeah," Mihoshi gave an embarrassed laugh as she tried to pretend that she had the slightest idea of what Washu was talking about. "Who knew?"

"That's just it," Washu crowed. "Nobody knew until I discovered it! This will take experiments in electrical power to the next level! We may be able to find more practical applications of such energy!"

Once again Washu's little plush effigies appeared at her shoulders to congratulate her.

"You are the greatest, Washu!" the one on her right shoulder with the letter 'A' on its blouse cheered.

"You've really outdone yourself this time!" the one on her left shoulder with the letter 'B' on its blouse added.

"Oh they are so cute!" Mihoshi again reached out to embrace them.

"Knock it off!" Washu slapped the blonde's hands away as her two doll-sized cheerleaders disappeared once more. "Now pay attention! I've got to be in that chair on the right when the circuit is completed and we probably only got one try at this, so don't mess it up, got it?"

"Oh yes," Mihoshi nodded dutifully. "Got it."

Washu gave her assistant a hard look as if checking to see if the dizzy blonde truly understood. "Okay," she said finally. "I'm going to throw the switch with the green lever and go sit down in the chair. When the chime goes off, I need you to throw the switch with the red lever, and then throw the switch with the black lever, do you understand me?"

"Okay…" Mihoshi frowned in concentration. "You throw the switch with the green lever, and I throw the switch with the black lever…"

"The red lever!"

"Right… right… the red lever," Mihoshi squinted as she tried to remember. "And then I throw the green lever…"

"The black lever you idiot!"

"Right… the black lever after I throw the red lever," Mihoshi nodded to herself. "Right. Should be easy-peasie."

"Urg," Washu grimaced in disgust. "Just don't mess up." She threw the green lever and walked over to the empty chair under the apparatus on the ceiling. "Okay, the capacitors should be charging up…" a soft chime was heard from the control panel. "Okay, it went off! It's time! Throw the switch, Mihoshi! Throw the switch!"

"Yes… master…" Mihoshi muttered sinisterly as she bent over strangely.

"Will you get your head out of your ass?" Washu snapped. "Throw the switch you idiot!"

"Sorry master! Sorry!" Mihoshi squeaked as she stood up straight again. "Just getting into character!"

"Throw the red switch before I eviscerate you!" Washu growled.

"Okay… okay…" nodded the flustered blonde. "I throw this switch here…"

"Not that one, you idiot, the other one!" Washu screeched. "The red one, you idiot! Don't you know red from green?"

"I throw the red lever here," Mihoshi muttered as she pulled the lever. Above the two chairs, the two silvery helmets lowered to reveal that their tops were laced with copper wiring.

"Okay," Washu said as she straightened out her helmet. "Check to see that the one on Baby Washustein is secure!"

Mihoshi dutifully walked over to Ryoko, who was startled by the electric crackling and the Jacob's ladders on the bulky machines in the lab. "Got it!" Mihoshi called out as she pressed the helmet down on Ryoko's head. "Got it! The helmet is on and secure!"

"Okay!" Washu shouted over the noisy machines that churned to life in the room. "Go ahead and throw the switch! The black one! Throw the switch, Mihoshi! Do it now!"

"Yesss… master!" Mihoshi hissed with a wacky grimace on her face before she pulled on the black lever with both hands. "It's kind of… stuck!"

"Hey! Be careful!" Washu warned her. "Don't knock anything loose or…"

At that moment Mihoshi threw the lever. "Yaaaaaaaah!" Washu screamed as cerulean forks of lightning danced over her cranium. For a brief moment her skull was visable.

"Aaaaaaah!" Ryoko screamed as her helmet electrocuted her too.

"Eeeeeeeeee!" Mihoshi screamed in horror as the electrical machines gave a terrific pyrotechnic display. "Oh my! What do I do? What do I do?"

An explosion hurled Washu and Ryoko out of their chairs.

_Next: They Grow Up So Fast_


	11. They Grow Up So Fast

_Galaxy 1001D presents:_

**Washustein; or the Modern Mad Scientist**

_Starring Washu Hakubi as Doctor Washu Fitzgerald von Washustein_

_Tenchi Masaki as Tenchi Mancini_

_Mihoshi Kuramitsu as Mihoshi Gerstell_

_Aeka Masaki Jurai as Ayeka Jurai_

_Sasami Masaki Jurai as Sasami Jurai_

_And Ryoko as the Monster-woman_

_Tenchi Muyo and all related characters are © AIC/Pioneer/Genon/Funimation. This story is written solely for entertainment and is not intended to make a profit in any way._

_Based on "Frankenstein; or, the Modern Prometheus" created by Mary Shelly_

_And "Tenchi Muyo" created by Masaki Kajishima_

_Chapter Eleven: They Grow Up So Fast_

"Oh my gosh!" Mihoshi coughed on the smoke filling the lab. "I'm so… sorry master!" she apologized as she lifted the reeling Washu to her feet. "I-I don't know what I did wrong! I followed all of your instructions to the letter…"

"It's okay…" Washu said weakly. "This is what always happens when I do this…"

"What?" Mihoshi stared at her employer. Sections of Washu's clothes were singed and bits of ash dirtied her face. The little scientist reeked of smoke and ozone. Mihoshi could barely believe it. "But you said that you've done this dozens of times!"

"If you first don't succeed…" Washu teetered on her feet as her eyes tried to focus.

"Oh…" came a groan from Washu's creation.

"Ryoko!" Mihoshi cried.

That gave Washu the rush of adrenaline she needed to regain her senses. "Let's go see if it worked!"

The two women rushed over to the horizontal figure of Ryoko who was face forward on the floor. Smoke was trailing out of her wild cyan-white hair. They turned her over and fanned their hands at her face. "Ryoko, are you all right?" Mihoshi asked.

Ryoko's topaz yellow eyes bulged open. "Every object in a state of uniform motion tends to remain in that state of motion unless an external force is applied to it!" she exclaimed. "Whoa," she shook her head as she sat up. "What the heck happened to me?"

"Yes!" Washu shouted as she raised a clenched fist to the heavens. "I've done it! My creation has the maturity of an adult! I've finally done it! I am such a genius!"

"You are the greatest Washu!" A little plush Washu appeared on the redhead's right shoulder with the letter 'A' on its blouse cheered.

"You are the greatest genius who ever lived!" A second plush Washu appeared on her right shoulder with the letter 'B' on its blouse agreed.

"Ooh just look at those little guys!" Ryoko smiled as she reached out for the little Washu dolls. "Can I hold them?"

"I know, they're so adorable," Mihoshi nodded as she reached out to pick up one herself.

"Hey! Hands off you two!" Washu snarled as she backed away. Her two homunculi vanished once more. "I can't believe you guys. Eve, how do you feel?"

Ryoko looked around and finally pointed to herself. "Are you talking to me?"

"Of course I'm talking to you," Washu retorted. "Who else would I be talking to?"

"Whom," Ryoko corrected.

"What?" Washu raised an eyebrow.

"Whom is the object," Ryoko explained. "Who is the subject. The proper sentence would be 'Whom else would I be talking to?'"

"Nobody likes a know-it-all, Eve," Washu warned her. "I should know."

"Why are you calling me 'Eve'?" the cyan-haired young woman asked her creator. "My name is Ryoko."

"No it is not!" Washu shook her fist. "I named you 'Eve'!"

"Everybody else calls me 'Ryoko'," her creation shrugged.

"But your name is not 'Ryoko'!" Washu snarled. "It's 'Eve'!"

"But my mother named me 'Ryoko'," the golden-eyed girl insisted.

"_I_ am your mother!" Washu insisted.

"I thought my mother was shorter, with blue hair," Ryoko scratched her head. "She fed me and tucked me in and played with me. She was so kind…"

"I created you!" the redhead growled. "Therefore, _I_ am your mother!"

"You can't possibly be my mother," Ryoko said. "_You_ are grouchy and mean all the time. My mother loves me and you only love yourself."

"She's got you there, master," Mihoshi giggled.

"Will you shut up?!" Washu screeched.

"Sorry," Mihoshi clasped her hands and bowed her head.

"Well, I'm hungry," Ryoko decided. She balled her fists and started howling in anguish. "WAAAAH!"

"Knock it off!" Washu ordered. "What's wrong with you now?"

"Oh nothing," Ryoko shrugged. "I always do this when I'm hungry. Or lonely. Or need a nap. Or scared of something. Or need a change of clothes. It's a real attention getter. Watch." She scrunched her eyes shut and resumed her mournful wailing. "WAAAAH!"

"Cut it out!" Washu commanded. "You don't have to do that anymore. You can talk. You can communicate just fine. Spare our eardrums please."

"But _you _shout and scream all the time," Ryoko said innocently. "I just thought that was the way it was done."

"'Scuse me?" Washu raised a suspicious eyebrow.

"Yeah you're always whining and hollering to get your way, and the blonde always jumps and gets right on it," Ryoko explained. "I thought that was just the way you get things done around here."

"It may be rude, but you have to admit it's very effective," Mihoshi added.

Washu frowned and closed her eyes. She placed her hand on her head as if she was getting a terrible migraine. "Okay let's start over. Eve, how do you feel?"

"My name's not Eve; it's Ryoko," her creation insisted stubbornly.

The redhead took a deep breath and tried to smile. "Eve. How. Do. You. Feel?" she grimaced dangerously.

"I don't know who you're talking to, 'cause that's not my name," Ryoko sang condescendingly. "My name is Ryoko… if you were my mother you'd know my name… but you don't… 'cause you're not my real mother…"

"I _am_ your real mother!" Washu screeched.

"No you're not, you're just a meanie," Ryoko shrugged. "My real mother couldn't be so mean. No, my real mother was taken way. Someday I'm going to find her, but in the meantime it's time to eat. WAAAAAH!"

"Knock off that shouting!" Washu screamed.

"You first," Ryoko snorted. "I don't like it down here." She extended her hands to the dizzy blonde. "Mihoshi, pick me up."

"Okay," Mihoshi knelt down and put her arms around her.

"Just what do you think you are doing?" Washu sneered as Mihoshi hoisted Ryoko into her arms. "You can walk."

"I can?"

"She can?" Mihoshi repeated.

"Yes," Washu crossed her arms and smiled. "The experiment that transferred my mind data to you also transferred my reflexes and motor control. You should be able to walk as well as I do."

"Well, I don't know," Ryoko glanced up at the ceiling in thought, and then focused on Washu. "Do you walk very well?"

"What kind of question is that?" Washu clenched her fists and stamped her foot. "Of course I do!"

"Just asking," Ryoko shrugged. "Okay, Mihoshi put me down. I'll give this walking thing a try."

"All right," the blonde knelt down and released the week-year-old.

"Okay, let's try this," Ryoko clapped her hands, blew into them and rubbed them together. "Walking... Walking… Okay, getting to my feet… now!" Ryoko lunged to her feet but fell forward and had to use her hands to catch herself.

"You're trying too hard," Washu instructed. "Just don't think about it and it will happen. You know how to do this."

"Mihoshi, could you squat back down for me?" Ryoko asked. "I'd like to see how you do it."

"Right," Mihoshi nodded as she knelt down to get on Ryoko's level. "On the count of three, we'll stand up together. Ready. One… two… three!" Grasping each other's arms, the two women rose to their feet. "You doing all right?"

"Yeah, let's try to get up the stairs," Ryoko suggested. "I think I'm going to have trouble with that."

* * *

In the dining room, Mihoshi served a delicious meal of unicorn and Pegasus sausages. Washu had converted the south tower of Castle Washustein into a huge refrigerator and it was perfect for preserving meat.

"Okay, gimmie the sausages," Ryoko gestured to Mihoshi from her side of the table. "I'm gonna dig in!"

"Eve!" Washu gasped from her seat at the other side. "Where are your manners?"

"Oops?" shrugged an embarrassed Ryoko. "Sorry. That isn't the way I'm supposed to say it? Okay, I'll try again." The cyan-haired woman gave an ugly scowl and snarled arrogantly. "Mihoshi, you idiot! Give me the sausages right now!"

"I don't believe this!" Washu gasped. "That's not how you act at the table! You're supposed to say 'please pass me the sausages'. Where were you raised, young lady? In a barn?"

Her creation squinted in concentration. "No, I was raised right here. Unless this is some new kind of barn. Is this a barn? I don't think it's a barn. And what is this word, 'please'? I never hear _you_ using it, but I think I heard Mihoshi use it a couple of times."

"Okay then, you're familiar with the word," Washu snorted. "Go ahead and say 'please' next time."

"Got it," Ryoko nodded. She clasped her hands in a pleading gesture and begged, "Please…! Please…! Please Mihoshi! Give me a sausage! I promise I'll be good! Don't fire me! Give me a sausage please!"

"Knock it off!" Washu ordered. "What the hell was that?"

"I'm saying 'please'," Ryoko explained in a reasonable voice. "That's the way you do it, right? That's the way Mihoshi does it. Or am I supposed to be on my knees when you say 'please'? Sorry, I'm new at this."

"Just say it normally like a normal human being," Washu sighed wearily.

"Uh, well then could you give me an example?" Ryoko asked. "I don't think anyone here qualifies."

"What is that supposed to mean?" Washu bristled.

"Oh nothing! Nothing!" Ryoko smiled and waved at her creator. "Just go ahead and show me how to do it."

"Okay, repeat after me: 'please pass me the sausages'," Washu said testily.

"Please pass me the sausages," Ryoko repeated through clenched teeth, just as her creator did.

"There that wasn't so hard was it?" Washu leaned back in her chair smugly.

"Actually it was," Ryoko replied as Mihoshi served her. "No offense, but you aren't a very good teacher."

"Wha-wha-what?" her creator sputtered. "What do you mean by that? I'll have you know that I became a tenured professor after only five years!"

"You're a professor?" Ryoko asked skeptically.

"Of course I am!"

"You teach people?"

"Yes!" Washu grunted. "That's what professors do!"

"Have any of your students graduated?" Ryoko scratched her head in disbelief.

"Have any of my…!" Washu closed her eyes and growled. "Listen young lady, I am a terrific teacher! Look how fast I managed to teach _you_."

"Yeah, but you don't do any of the stuff you tell me to do," Ryoko pointed out. "How do I know what you told me is accurate?" She glanced over at Mihoshi as Washu closed her eyes and growled. "Oh Mihoshi, you forgot to cut my sausages up."

"Oops," the blonde shrugged. "Sorry about that, I'll get right on it!" Soon the dizzy domestic was cutting Ryoko's sausages into tiny bite-sized chunks.

"Hey, isn't she old enough to do that herself?" Washu asked testily.

"What?" Mihoshi started in surprise. "A week?"

"She isn't just a week old mentally anymore," Washu explained. "Mentally she's as old as I am."

"But Mihoshi has always cut my sausages up for me," Ryoko protested.

"Yeah, she might choke on them," Mihoshi nodded. "I've got to cut them up, for safety's sake."

Washu clutched her head as another migraine came on. Finally she said. "Can't Eve cut up her sausages herself?"

"Nope," Ryoko answered impudently, "'cause there's nobody here called 'Eve'. I guess Mihoshi or I will have to do it…"

"Eve!" Washu snapped.

"That's not my name…" Ryoko sang mockingly. "If you were my mother you'd know that… but you're not…"

"Stop that!" Washu snapped as she hurled a rubber mallet at Ryoko. It bounced off her creation's head and stopped her annoying chant instantly. As a tear dripped out of Ryoko's angry yellow eye, the cyan-haired woman rubbed her head. "Now behave and eat," Washu ordered. The scientist was nauseated as her creation started shoving her food into her mouth. "Hey! Stop that!"

"Whu?" Ryoko's response was muffled, since her mouth was full.

"For crying out loud, if you're too lazy to cut up your sausages, you could at least chew your food," the short scientist sighed snippily.

"Geeze, what bug crawled up your butt and died?" Ryoko muttered as she cut her sausages into bite size chunks. She paused and picked up a long fat sausage and examined it. "I miss Tenchi. Why did he go away, anyhow?"

"Excuse me?" her creator asked, looking up from her own food.

"I said I miss Tenchi," Ryoko said while staring at her sausage. "For some reason I just started thinking of him."

"I know what you mean," Washu mused as she also picked up a long fat sausage. I can't put my finger on it, but for some reason I was reminded of him."

"But he's nowhere in sight," Ryoko shrugged, her eyes never leaving the erect sausage. "What could have made us think about him?"

"I don't know," Washu frowned as stared at the ceiling as she tapped the tip of her sausage against her chin. "Weird."

"So where is he?" Ryoko asked. "Let's go see him."

"Don't be silly, Eve, I can't possibly show you off while you're a still a barbarian," Washu shook her head.

"WAAAAH!" Ryoko howled. "I wanna see Tenchi! Ow!" she stopped as another rubber mallet bounced off her head.

"You gonna do that every time you don't get your way?" Washu asked her.

"Why sure," Ryoko shrugged. "It almost always worked for me before."

"Mihoshi, get me some more rubber mallets," Washu sighed. "I have a feeling this is going to take awhile."

"You are so mean!" Ryoko frowned. "With you it's just rules-rules-rules isn't it? You just can't stop telling me what to do can you?"

"I'm your creator," Washu snorted arrogantly. "That's what I do."

"Well I don't like it!" Ryoko pouted.

"Cry me a river," the little genius snorted.

"WAAAAH!"

"I was being sarcastic!" Washu shouted. "Listen, you are capable of understanding things now. If you want to live in this house, you are going to have to follow the rules and do what I say! Do you understand?"

"Maybe I don't want to live in this house," Ryoko grumbled. "Maybe I want to go off on my own!"

"Ha!" Washu sneered. "Fat chance, young lady. I created you and I own you! You can't do anything without me and you know it!"

"We'll see about that," Ryoko muttered darkly.

_Next: Ayeka's House_


	12. Ayeka's House

_Galaxy 1001D presents:_

**Washustein; or the Modern Mad Scientist**

_Starring Washu Hakubi as Doctor Washu Fitzgerald von Washustein_

_Tenchi Masaki as Tenchi Mancini_

_Mihoshi Kuramitsu as Mihoshi Gerstell_

_Aeka Masaki Jurai as Ayeka Jurai_

_Sasami Masaki Jurai as Sasami Jurai_

_And Ryoko as the Monster-woman_

_Tenchi Muyo and all related characters are © AIC/Pioneer/Genon/Funimation. This story is written solely for entertainment and is not intended to make a profit in any way._

_Based on "Frankenstein; or, the Modern Prometheus" created by Mary Shelly_

_And "Tenchi Muyo" created by Masaki Kajishima_

_Chapter Twelve: Ayeka's House_

"Mihoshi!" Washu bellowed from her bedroom. "Get in here, and bring my ungrateful daughter in here too!"

"What is it, Master?" Mihoshi asked chirpily as she entered.

"Mistress," Washu corrected.

"Oh there's no need to be formal," Mihoshi smiled genially. "I'm just the housekeeper. I work for _you_, after all."

"No, _I'm_ the mistress, you fool!" the redhead snarled in exasperation.

"You're a mistress?" the blonde gasped in disgust and shock. "Well I think that you should be ashamed of yourself, Master! Just think of the feelings of the wife!"

"What?" Washu raised an eyebrow in confusion. "What are you talking about?"

"Well you said that you were the mistress, Master," Mihoshi shrugged. "I just wonder who the wife is. I had no idea that you were fooling around with another woman's man."

"Bend over Mihoshi," Washu beckoned with her finger.

"Yes?" the blonde said as she bent down, expecting Washu to whisper something in her ear. Instead the redhead slapped her in the face. "Ouch!"

"Now where is that worthless creation of mine?" Washu asked her.

"Which worthless creation?" Mihoshi asked. "You've created a lot of worthless stuff around here."

"Mihoshi, bend over," Washu said wearily as she beckoned with her finger.

"Okay." Slap. "Ow! That really stings!"

"Now where is young Eve?" Washu asked.

"Ryoko, Master," Mihoshi corrected. "She prefers to be called 'Ryoko'."

Slap.

"Now where _is_ she?" Washu asked. "She went to the bathroom right on my bed, and I want to literally rub her nose in it before you clean it up. Have you seen her?"

"Uh, no, Master, I haven't," Mihoshi replied while rubbing the sore spot on her cheek. "I haven't seen her since lunch."

"Well now that she's talking she has no excuse going to the bathroom wherever she pleases," Washu grumbled. "Has she gotten better at walking yet?"

"Oh yes, Master!" the blonde gushed proudly. "She's up and walking and running and everything! She could probably walk all the way to town if she wanted to!"

* * *

At that moment, Ryoko was strolling through the streets of Ingolstadt. "This walking thing is _really_ easy!" she smiled as she hopped, jumped, and skipped along. "I wonder what else I can do?"

* * *

Back at Castle Washustein, the mad scientist and her assistant searched for their wayward creation. "She isn't here Mihoshi," Washu decided. "No, stop looking in that cookie jar. Let's face it. She isn't here. Now if you were only a week old, where would you go?"

* * *

Later, at the stately mansion of Lady Ayeka Jurai, the lady of the house was being fitted for her wedding dress.

"You look beautiful, Ayeka," Sasami smiled with both admiration and a hint of jealousy. "You look like a princess!"

"Thank you, Sasami," Ayeka blushed modestly. "I didn't think this purple hair and crimson eyes would go with anything, but I think we finally found a wedding gown that works."

"I can't believe that you're getting married next Saturday!" her sister gushed. "This is so exciting! I never thought that papa would allow you to marry a commoner!"

Ayeka gasped and then swallowed nervously. "Er, father isn't due back from his sailing trip until next week, is he?"

"That's what his last letter said," Sasami nodded.

"Good," Ayeka nodded imperiously. "When he returns it will be after the fact. He'll have no choice but to give us his blessing."

"I don't know, Ayeka," Sasami scolded. "Father's going to be awfully mad…"

"He's living in the last century!" Ayeka scoffed. "If the aristocracy wants to survive this one we've got to change with the times! Scientists like Tenchi are the way of the future, I just know it!"

"And Tenchi is awfully cute," Sasami added slyly.

Ayeka laughed self-consciously and put a hand to her bosom. "Oh that's not important," she lied.

Both the Jurai sisters broke into laughter.

"It's going to be so wonderful!" Ayeka gushed. "I'm so happy! Nothing could possibly spoil this for me!"

At that moment the doors opened and in stepped Ryoko, the Washustein monster. "Hello guys! Here I am!" she sang.

The Jurai sisters' eyes bulged out in shock, and the maids attending Ayeka gasped and put their hands to their mouths. Before them was a feral woman wearing a blue dressing gown bisected by lime green stripes. Her wild, uncombed hair was an unnatural cyan white. Her eyes were yellow like an owl's. Her large flappy ears made her look even more animalistic. And even worse, the boots she was wearing went out of style last year!

"Mommy!" Ryoko cried as she lunged forward and embraced a baffled Sasami. "I've found you! It's me! Little Ryoko! Isn't this great? We're a family again!"

"Ryoko!" Sasami gasped. "You're walking! You can speak! What happened to you?"

"Meow," Ryo-ohki added.

"I guess I'm just clever," Ryoko smiled. She glanced over at Ayeka. "Eeka!" she grinned as she dashed over and hugged the flabbergasted bride to be. "It's me! It's Ryoko!" She hugged her so tightly that Ayeka's skin became as purple as her hair.

"Let… go of me!" Ayeka grunted as she pulled Ryoko off her. A tearing sound was heard and she howled in anguish. "Oh! My dress!" The sewing on her sleeve hadn't been finished and it was still pinned in place. Now it was loose, and in Ryoko's hand.

"Oops, sorry about that," Ryoko said as she looked at the torn piece of white cloth in her hand. "Well, that's okay. You can get a new dress. White isn't your color anyways."

"What do you mean, white isn't my color?" Ayeka growled. "This is my wedding dress!"

"Your wedding dress?" Ryoko raised a quizzical eyebrow. "What's that?"

"It's a dress that you wear when you get married," Sasami explained.

"Married?" Ryoko asked. "What do you mean?"

"When two people want to spend the rest of their lives together they get married," Sasami told her.

"Okay, let's get married then," Ryoko smiled. "I want to spend the rest of my life with you."

"No silly," Sasami giggled. "A girl can only marry a boy."

"Oh, really?" Ryoko put her hand over her mouth bashfully. "Um, in that case, I'll marry Tenchi."

"What?" Ayeka looked up from her damaged wedding gown to pay full attention to the conversation between Sasami and Ryoko. "Wait a minute. What did you say?"

"I said 'I'll marry Tenchi'", Ryoko repeated unwittingly. "I don't really know any other boys. And he's the one I want to spend the rest of my life with. What about it?"

Ayeka held her breath and tried to control her temper. It wasn't Ryoko's fault she was simplifying things so much. She was only a week old and had no idea what she was saying.

"What's the matter?" the cyan haired woman noticed Ayeka's distress. "Still upset about your dress? I know how to fix it."

Ayeka howled in despair as Ryoko tore the other sleeve off her body in one deft movement.

"See," Ryoko smiled, winked, and wagged her finger. "Now the left side matches the right. Now it's nice and even. Everything's fixed."

Ayeka's face turned as purple as her hair as she yelped, growled and made nonsensical shrill sounds.

"Hey, are you okay?" Ryoko grew concerned.

"YEE-OH!" Ayeka howled.

Suddenly a door burst open and Tenchi Mancini tore into the room. "I heard screaming! Is everything alright?" he asked.

"Tenchi!" Ryoko's eyes filled with stars.

"Ah! Ryoko! It's you!" he cried.

"Tenchi! It's me! Ryoko!" she cried as she embraced him. "It's me! I can talk! I understand things now! Isn't it great?"

"You can talk!" he gasped. "But you're only a week old! This is incredible!"

"I know, isn't it amazing?" she grinned. Suddenly she shuddered as she hugged him. "Wow… What's going on here? This feeling I get when I'm hugging you… It's not like when I hug the others…"

"It's not?"

"No," Her arms caressed his body, as if searching for something. "When I hug you I get this weird feeling. I feel like doing something…" Suddenly she wrapped her legs around him and started rubbing herself against his body. "Whatever it is, I feel like doing it a lot…"

"Doh!" Tenchi exclaimed. He glanced over at his livid fiancé. "Uh, Ryoko," he laughed nervously. "Whatever it is, you don't want to do it with _me_, do you?"

"I sure do," Ryoko frowned in concentration as she continued to rub up and down on him. "It's this weird feeling. I never felt it before. It's both in my heart and where my legs connect to the rest of my body. Do you ever get feelings like that?"

"Ryoko!" Ayeka snapped as she pulled the young woman off Tenchi. "Will you get off him? Tenchi is _my_ fiancé!"

"What does finance have to do with anything?" Ryoko asked.

"No I mean we're going to get married!" Ayeka hissed.

"Really?" Ryoko blinked. "Congratulations! Can I marry him too?"

"No you can't marry him too!" Ayeka clenched her fists and stamped her foot. "You can't have more than one spouse! Only one to a customer!"

"Oh," Ryoko looked down disappointed. "Well in that case, can I marry him instead of you?"

Ayeka frown became an exaggerated grimace as one of her eyes twitched.

"Uh… what Ayeka's trying to explain is that I already promised to marry _her_," Tenchi blushed. "Sorry."

"Oh," a crestfallen Ryoko pouted. "Oh no. I don't want to go back to Washu's house. She is so mean and always yells at me."

"She does?" Sasami clasped her hands in sympathy. "Oh, poor Ryoko."

"Not only that, but she locks me in my room,' Ryoko moaned. "She acts like I'm a pet or something. She really is so cruel."

"I was afraid of this," Tenchi sighed. "It's the reason I broke up with her."

"Hm?" Ryoko glanced over to him with curious eyes. "What did you say?"

"Uh… nothing," he mumbled as he looked away, but it was too late.

"He was just about to tell you that he broke up with that horrible Washu," Ayeka sneered. "Just in the nick of time, too. He had promised to marry the little troll."

"He was?" Ryoko paled. "How awful! I've only been alive for a week and I've had to live with her the whole time! I can't imagine having to put up with her for your entire life!"

"You got that right!" Ayeka nodded, channeling her frustration of her ruined wedding dress into a venomous attack on Washu. "When Tenchi was engaged to that woman I hid my tears and wished them the best of luck, but when Tenchi promised to marry _me_ she changed my hair purple and turned my eyes blood red!"

"Wait a minute," Ryoko frowned in concentration. "Tenchi was engaged to Washu? Does that mean that he promised to marry her _first_?"

Tenchi grew alarmed and made halting and shushing gestures with his hands but no one paid attention to him.

"That's right," Sasami nodded as Ryo-ohki balanced herself on the child's head. "Tenchi promised to marry Washu first, but had to break it off with her when he discovered what a terrible parent she would make."

"Yes, he had to think of the children," Ayeka gloated. "Honestly, I feel sorry for any offspring that woman would have whelped. The poor things would be so neglected…"

"Ahem," Tenchi cleared his throat noisily. He then made a coughing noise that sounded vaguely like 'Shut up'.

"I know what you mean about neglect," Ryoko nodded. "Honestly, she never gives me the tiniest bit of love or attention. I tell you, she's dangerous."

"You got that right," Ayeka muttered before she scolded her fiancé. "Tenchi I can't believe you ever promised to marry that horrid woman! Uh…" Too late, Ayeka finally noticed Tenchi silently signaling her to be quiet.

"So Tenchi promised to marry Washu first before you, huh?" Ryoko asked as she clasped her chin in thought. "But you aren't married yet, right? Good that means there's still time for me to marry him first."

"What-what! What-what?" Ayeka sputtered.

"What's the matter, hard of hearing?" Ryoko asked, then she cupped her mouth with her hands and shouted at the purple haired woman. "I SAID 'THERE'S STILL TIME FOR ME TO MARRY HIM FIRST!'"

"I heard what you said!" Ayeka growled. "I just can't believe that you're only a week old and already you're trying to steal my fiancé! You really _are_ the spawn of Washu aren't you? Everything she makes is corrupt!"

"Hey, that sounds like fighting words, Eeka!" Ryoko snarled.

"AYeka!" the purple haired woman shouted. "There's an 'I' sound at the beginning of my name, you moron!"

"You're starting to sound just like Washu!" Ryoko growled. "Looks like I came to Tenchi's rescue just in time. Otherwise he'd have to marry a shrew like you!"

"Shrew?" Ayeka hissed. The two women faced each other, growling like animals as lightning crackled around them.

"Oh boy," Tenchi sighed as he covered his eyes with his hand. "Now we're in for it!"

_Next: The Taming of the Shrew_


	13. The Taming of the Shrew

_Galaxy 1001D presents:_

**Washustein; or the Modern Mad Scientist**

_Starring Washu Hakubi as Doctor Washu Fitzgerald von Washustein_

_Tenchi Masaki as Tenchi Mancini_

_Mihoshi Kuramitsu as Mihoshi Gerstell_

_Aeka Masaki Jurai as Ayeka Jurai_

_Sasami Masaki Jurai as Sasami Jurai_

_And Ryoko as the Monster-woman_

_Tenchi Muyo and all related characters are © AIC/Pioneer/Genon/Funimation. This story is written solely for entertainment and is not intended to make a profit in any way._

_Based on "Frankenstein; or, the Modern Prometheus" created by Mary Shelly_

_And "Tenchi Muyo" created by Masaki Kajishima_

_Chapter Thirteen: The Taming of the Shrew_

"I don't believe this!" Ryoko growled as she put her hands on her hips. "I thought you were different, but you're just like Washu!"

"_You're_ the one who's like Washu!" Ayeka corrected. "What do you think you are playing at? You come in here and announce that you're going to steal my fiancé. How did you expect me to react? What are you, crazy or something?"

"I'm crazy because I'm in love!" Ryoko struck a darling pose and batted her eyes innocently. "I'm in love, and I'm in love with Tenchi!" She put her arms around the flabbergasted med student.

"Now wait a minute!" Tenchi protested. "You hardly know me!"

"I know that I want to be with you," she insisted as she pressed her cheek against his. "You want to be with me, don't you? Come on, admit it. You like me right?"

"Yes but that doesn't mean I want to marry you!" Tenchi cried. The Italian medical student squirmed in Ryoko's grip as if a colony of ants had made a home in his trousers.

"You just need time to think about it, sweetie pie," Ryoko assured him. "I know you've met _lots_ of other women, but I'm new and improved! I'm cutting edge!"

"If you don't take your hands off Tenchi I'll give you a cutting edge!" Ayeka threatened as she pulled Ryoko off her flustered fiancé. "I tried to be nice but there's no point being nice to a _monster_," the aristocrat sneered. "Get out of my house! Get out right now!"

"Make me!" Ryoko put her hands on her hips.

Ayeka's eye twitched as her face contorted into a dark scowl.

The sound of shattering glass sounded like a thousand tinkling bells as Ryoko was hurled through the window. "Ow!" the cyan haired siren cried as she hit the ground. "Dammit!" She looked around. She was outside!

"Go away and don't come back!" Ayeka shouted out the now shattered window. "Move to another country or something, but don't darken our door ever again!" With that, the purple-haired bride-to-be drew the curtains.

Tears welled up in Ryoko's eyes as her lower lip trembled. "Waaah!" she howled, big drops of water falling from her topaz yellow eyes. "Mommy! Ah-hanh-hanh-hanh haaaah!"

Inside, Ryoko's weeping could be heard even with the curtains drawn. Tenchi, Sasami, and Ryo-ohki gave Ayeka disappointed looks.

"Fine," Ayeka huffed. "I'll apologize. But first let me change into something decent." She shuffled out the door in her tattered wedding gown attempting to salvage her tattered dignity.

"Poor Ryoko," Sasami sighed.

"Mew," Ryo-ohki agreed.

"We better go out there and see if she's hurt," Tenchi suggested.

"Mommy!" Ryoko sobbed when Tenchi, Sasami and Ryo-ohki went outside to fetch her. "Tenchi! Waaaaah!"

Tenchi sighed as he picked her up and turned to walk back into Ayeka's house. Sasami and Ryo-ohki followed them back inside.

* * *

Soon Tenchi was applying little bandages to the back of Ryoko's head. It was unprotected when Ayeka had sent her flying through the window.

"She… she was so mean," Ryoko sniffled. "Just like Washu! She called me a monster! Go beat her up!"

"Now-now, Ayeka's normally not like that," Tenchi told her. "If you want to know, it's my fault actually."

"Your fault?" Ryoko asked. "What do you mean?"

"I mean it's my fault for choosing Washu before I chose her," Tenchi explained. "You can't blame her for feeling threatened. It's not like I gave her a lot of confidence."

"What do you see in them anyhow?" Ryoko huffed.

"I don't know," he smiled ruefully. "I guess I've always been attracted to strong and dominant women. You want to know the name of the most romantic play ever written? _Romeo and Juliet_. For some reason that one never did anything for me."

"_Romeo and Juliet_, huh?" Ryoko asked. "What's it about?"

"It's about two star-crossed lovers who can't be together," he told her. "Their families are feuding, so they get married in secret. At the end they commit suicide when they think the other one is dead."

"Yuck," Ryoko shuddered. "Sounds like a real downer."

"It is," Tenchi nodded. "I always liked _The Taming of the Shrew_," he blushed. "Call me weird, but I always thought that Katherine was dead sexy! I couldn't help but be disappointed at the end when she obeys Petruchio and helps him win his silly wager at the end. I can't blame Katherine for being unhappy with the role thrust upon her. She was intelligent enough to see the inequality of a woman's place in society and strong willed enough to resent it. Honestly that woman was fascinating! I guess that deep down I've always been looking for my Katherine."

"Did you find her?" Ryoko asked him.

"I found two of them," Tenchi laughed. "Two strong willed women that would make a marriage a partnership instead of monarchy. Washu is brilliant, determined, and unrestrained by any convention, and Ayeka is athletic, spirited, and can be just as violent as Katherine ever was."

"Boy you _are_ a glutton for punishment," Ryoko gently scolded. "You got to be out of your mind to want a woman like that. Personally I'd rather have somebody that would take care of me and do whatever I say."

"Well, I guess I kind of like being dominated," Tenchi admitted as his face became red. "Washu used to tie me up and… er… uh… never mind," he backed away sweating. "You don't want to hear about this…"

"Sure I do," Ryoko insisted. "So you like being tied up. I can do that. What else did you do?"

"You're a lady," Tenchi stammered. "And you're way too young for any of this stuff..."

"So what do you like about Ayeka?" Ryoko asked him. "Does she tie you up too? What else does she do?"

"Never mind," Tenchi murmured as he scratched the back of his neck.

"Fine you don't want to talk about yourself, we can talk about me," Ryoko shrugged. "You're studying medicine right?"

"Yes," Tenchi said warily.

"How come my nipples are firming up while we're talking about tying you up?" Ryoko asked pointblank as she pawed at her chest. "They're usually pretty soft, but now they're like two little spikes. Is that normal? Here, I'll get undressed and you can take a look."

Tenchi responded by making a hasty exit.

"Hey, where are you going?" Ryoko called.

* * *

Later, Ryoko and Sasami were outside playing. Tenchi and Ayeka watched them through the window. "I guess it really isn't Ryoko's fault she's like that," Ayeka admitted. "With a mother like Washu, the poor thing really doesn't stand a chance."

"I know," Tenchi said sadly.

"I sent for 'Doctor Faustus' to come over here and collect her wayward offspring," Ayeka said through clenched teeth. "You just know she's going to try to slip something into the food to turn me into an aardvark or something. We have to keep an eye on her at all times."

"Will do," Tenchi nodded. "Let's hope that Ryoko will give her something else to do instead of plotting against _us_."

In the pavilion near the front of the house Sasami and Ryoko were playing with dishes and empty teacups. "More tea, lady Ryoko?" Sasami said after she pretended to pour tea for a stuffed animal.

"Why yes, lady Sauce-a-me," Ryoko replied with an affected upper-class accent as she held her teacup with her pinkie extended. "I would love some. No one makes tea like _you_ m'dear."

"Sasami," the little girl giggled. "My name isn't Sauce-a-me, it's Saw-saw-me! That's the way you say it!"

"Oh," Ryoko's shoulders slumped sheepishly. "Okay." She cleared her throat and got back into character. "Lady Saw-_saw_-me," she said emphasizing the proper pronunciation. "_Do_ pour me another cup of tea, won't you? It's good to the last drop, pip-pip and all that."

"_There_ you are!" Washu called in an accusing voice. "Just where do you think you've been young lady? We've been worried sick about you!"

"Aaah!" Ryoko's face lost all color as she say Washu and Mihoshi walking up the drive. "She's found me! She's found me!"

"Come on young lady!" Washu commanded. "You're coming home and learning to obey your mother!"

"Go away you red-haired goblin!" Ryoko sneered. "I'm _with_ my mother. She's right here!"

"Sasami isn't your mother," Washu corrected. "I am!"

"She's right Ryoko," Mihoshi scolded cheerfully. "You better obey your mother, or you're going to be in trouble now!"

"Go away!" Ryoko snapped. She turned to Sasami and pointed at Washu. "Mommy! Beat her up! Make sure she goes away and never comes back!"

"I can't do that, I'm not your mother," Sasami said sadly.

"What?" Ryoko's face again became pale. "Of course you are!"

"No I'm not." Sasami shook her head. "Washu is your real mother. She created you."

"What?" Ryoko clutched the sides of her head as if she was afraid her large flappy ears would fly away. "But this is impossible! Washu is so mean! If she really _is_ my mother… that means… that means… I really _am_ a monster!"

"Quit being so melodramatic," Washu scolded. "I'm not _that _bad, sheesh."

"Goodbye Ryoko," Sasami waved sadly.

"WAAAAH!" Ryoko cried as she slapped ineffectively at her creator.

"Knock it off!" Washu grumbled. "If I would have known you'd be this much trouble, I never would have created you in the first place."

* * *

Back at Castle Washustein, the skies began to grow dark. The angry clouds made night come early.

In an upstairs chamber, Washu was attempting to speed Ryoko's mental development. "Quit moping," the little scientist ordered. "Now concentrate and put the pegs in the right holes. You know how to do this."

"I don't wanna," Ryoko pouted.

"You _can't_ be that stupid, you've got my brainwaves," Washu scolded. "We are _the same_. You know how to do this and you don't give up. I never gave up. I would stop at nothing to achieve my goals. That's how I became the first female professor in modern history. It's a man's world out there. The only way to make your mark in it is to never say die and be totally ruthless."

"You're totally ruthless all right," Ryoko grumbled. "Maybe if I let my hair grow I could use it as a rope and get out of here."

"Will you cut it out?" Washu grumbled. "Man! I've created a total loser! If only I had listened to my parents when I was young!"

"Why?" Ryoko asked. "What did they tell you?"

"I don't know, I didn't listen," Washu said testily. "I buried them alive to get the inheritance. Now I've got lots of money and this big ol' castle and not a clue on how to raise a daughter. Way to go, Mom and Dad! You didn't have to be so gullible! Sheesh!"

"Wait a minute," Ryoko said. "How come you got everything after you got rid of _your_ crummy parents? I don't follow."

"The child _always_ inherits everything when the parent dies," Washu explained condescendingly. "If the parent wants to change that she better write a legal document before she kicks the bucket. Now shut up and let me think."

Ryoko rose from the table and walked to an open window, her yellow eyes wide from a sudden realization. "So after the parent is gone, the child is in charge and gets all their stuff, right?"

"Yeah-yeah," Washu grumbled. "Will you just shut up for a second? I've never done this before. I need to _think_!"

"Hey Washu? What's that outside?" Ryoko pointed out the window. "I've never seen _that_ before."

"Well _duh_…!" Washu sneered as she walked over to the window. "You're only a week old. There are lots of things you've never seen before."

"Yeah but this is really _weird_," Ryoko said as she leaned forward and squinted at something in the distance. "You really ought to take a look at this. It's just _bizarre_."

"Get out of the way and let me see, Eve," Washu said as she pushed Ryoko away from the window.

"Ryoko," her creation corrected.

"Whatever," Washu huffed.

"Now look out there, do you see that?" Ryoko asked as she grasped Washu's shoulder and pointed out the window. "What _is_ that?"

"What? I don't see anything," her creator growled.

"No _look_…" Ryoko insisted leaning forward and pointing into the distance. "Look there? See it?"

"See what?" Washu squinted as she leaned out the window. "What am I supposed to be looking at?"

"Come on, you can't miss it!" Ryoko exclaimed.

"I don't see squat!" Washu sneered as she leaned even further out the window. "Yaaah!" she cried as Ryoko pushed her out the window.

"Wow!" Ryoko smiled. "That was _easy_! Who would have thought it would be so easy?" She closed the shutters and shut the window. "Good thing my creator is a total moron! I'll get Mihoshi to bake us a cake to celebrate!"

_Next: I've Created a Monster!_


	14. I've Created A Monster!

_Galaxy 1001D presents:_

**Washustein; or the Modern Mad Scientist**

_Starring Washu Hakubi as Doctor Washu Fitzgerald von Washustein_

_Tenchi Masaki as Tenchi Mancini_

_Mihoshi Kuramitsu as Mihoshi Gerstell_

_Aeka Masaki Jurai as Ayeka Jurai_

_Sasami Masaki Jurai as Sasami Jurai_

_And Ryoko as the Monster-woman_

_Tenchi Muyo and all related characters are © AIC/Pioneer/Genon/Funimation. This story is written solely for entertainment and is not intended to make a profit in any way._

_Based on "Frankenstein; or, the Modern Prometheus" created by Mary Shelly_

_And "Tenchi Muyo" created by Masaki Kajishima_

_Lyrics for 'Ding Dong! The Witch is Dead' by E. Y. Harburg_

_Chapter Fourteen: I've Created A Monster!_

"I'm free!" Ryoko cheered as she danced down the halls of Castle Washustein. "Free at last!" She broke into song as she strutted and pranced through the corridors. "Ding Dong! The Witch is dead. Which old Witch? The Wicked Witch! Ding Dong! The Wicked Witch is dead…!"

"What's going on, Ryoko?" Mihoshi asked while carrying up fresh blankets and bed sheets for Washu's bedroom. "What are we celebrating?"

"I pushed Washu out the window!" Ryoko announced.

"Oh my! That wasn't very nice!" Mihoshi scolded. "Was she mad?"

"No-no Silly!" Ryoko gushed. "I pushed her out of the window and she fell to her doom! Don't you get it? We're free! We're finally free! We can do what we want now!"

"Woo-hoo! We're free! We're finally free!" Mihoshi cheered. Then her eyes widened in fear as Ryoko's statement sunk in. "Wait a minute! Did you just say that you _killed_ Miss Washu?"

"That's right!" Ryoko jumped up and down, unable to contain her excitement. "Let's celebrate! Let's invite Tenchi, Ayeka and Sasami over here and have a party! We can do all the things Washu never let us do and have some fun! What do you say?"

"Er uh, that sounds _great_ Ryoko," Mihoshi stammered as she backed away from the cyan-haired girl. "I'll um… go deliver the invitations by hand, okay? I think that I might… oh… invite some police officers over too. I hear they're really good dancers…"

"Okay, invite anybody you want, just make sure they're ready to have a good time!" Ryoko smiled.

"Okay…" Mihoshi sang as she waved and trotted happily away from Washu's homicidal creation. "I'll be back pretty soon, so don't go anywhere, okay?" As soon as the blonde was out of Ryoko's sight she put her hands over her mouth in horror. Ryoko had just killed her employer! Was she next?

Suddenly, Ryoko's strong hand gripped the housemaid's shoulder. "Hey Mihoshi, I just realized I don't know how to cook…"

"EEEEEE!" Mihoshi screamed as she collapsed to her knees.

"Hey!" Ryoko said as she pulled the reeling blonde to her feet. "Are you okay? Did you hurt yourself? You really gotta be more careful." When the trembling Mihoshi sniveled and nodded her head, Ryoko continued. "Look I just realized that I don't know how to fix any snacks for anybody so I better go invite the guests while you get things ready for the party."

Tears welled up out of the trembling Mihoshi's eyes as she nodded helplessly.

"Okay, don't get so upset, I'm just going invite over Tenchi, Sasami, Ayeka, and Ryo-ohki," Ryoko assured her. "It's not like I know a whole bunch of people or anything. You won't have to work that hard and you can teach me how to be a good host. Can you do that?"

"Y-yes Ryoko! A-anything you say!" Mihoshi stammered.

"Good. Don't worry. We'll have a great time! See you!" Ryoko pranced and sang as she went down the stairs and danced towards the front door. "Wake up - sleepy head, rub your eyes, get out of bed. Wake up, the Wicked Witch is dead... She's gone where the goblins go, Below - below - below. Yo-ho, let's open up and sing and ring the bells out. Ding Dong' the merry-oh, sing it high, sing it low. Let them know The Wicked Witch… is… dead…" Her voice trailed away when she opened the door and saw the small muddy figure silhouetted by the lighting in the distance. Thunder boomed as angry green eyes declared their murderous intent. "What? I don't believe it! How did you survive?"

"Castle Washustein is on a hill," Washu explained testily. "The next time you want to kill someone, don't push them out a one-story window!"

"Aah!" Ryoko screamed as she turned around and ran away. "Mihoshi! She's back! Washu's not dead! Quick! Get me a hammer!"

"Come back here you infantile ingrate!" Washu ordered as she dashed after her fleeing creation. "I give you life and this is the thanks I get? I was going to give you the knowledge you need to conquer the world and you push me out a window? You are in big trouble young lady!"

Ryoko screamed as Washu chased her around the main floor. In desperation, she grabbed a couch and pushed it into Washu's way to block her path. "Get away from me!"

"You have been asking for it, young lady! Quit running or you'll only make it worse!" Washu snarled as she tried to get around the couch. "Hey! What are you doing?"

Ryoko pushed the couch forward to pin Washu against the wall. "Mihoshi!" she cried. "I need your help! She's alive again!"

"Ryoko!" Washu gasped as she struggled to free herself. "Stop it! I can't move! You've got me pinned here!"

"If I give you an inch you'll throw the couch on top of me!" Ryoko protested.

"No I won't! I'm not that strong!" Washu protested.

"You're _not_?" Ryoko's eyes became wide as she pulled the couch away from the wall. "Hm," she said as she hoisted the couch onto her shoulders, before holding it up over her head. "Can you do this?"

"Don't be silly," Washu wheezed as she staggered forward from the wall. "I gave you the strength of Hercules. Only _you_ are that strong."

"Oh really?" Ryoko smiled evilly as one of her canine teeth was briefly visible. "Is that so?"

"When am I gonna keep my big mouth shut?" Washu moaned.

"So… I'm stronger than you am I?" Ryoko asked mischievously as she set the couch down. "This changes _everything_!"

"Holy Smokes! I've created a monster!" Washu exclaimed when realization set in. "N-now Ryoko!" she backed away as Ryoko advanced on her. "Now think about this! Don't do anything you might regret!"

"The only thing I regret is not doing this sooner," Ryoko sneered. "Didn't you say that the only way to get ahead in life is to be totally ruthless?"

"Not towards _me_ you idiot!" Washu cried. "How do you expect to conquer the world if I'm not around to teach you?"

"I don't want to conquer the world, I just want _you_ out of my hair," Ryoko informed her. "Once you're out of the way, Tenchi and I can be happy."

"_You don't want to conquer the world_?!" Washu grit her teeth, her fighting spirit returned. "That's it, Ryoko! Getting rid of me is one thing, but destroying my dreams is the last straw!" She ran to the wall and pulled a rapier off a display of crossed swords that hung as a decoration. She assumed a fencing stance pointed her blade at her rebellious creation. "Go to your room and stay there, young lady! I brought you into this world and I'll take you out of it if I have to!"

Ryoko looked around and then pulled the second rapier off the wall and assumed an identical fighting stance. "Make me!" she challenged.

"Not a good idea Eve," Washu warned her as she made a few practice strokes. "I was the top fencer in my class and I'm qualified to teach professionally. Now put that down before I cut you into a million pieces. I can just make another one you know. And I won't miss you either 'cause she will look _just like you_."

"I may still be getting used to moving around but I can take you!" Ryoko retorted as she duplicated the practice strokes that Washu had demonstrated. "On guard!"

Washu's brow furrowed as an idea occurred to her. "Great. I gave her my brainwaves and that means she has my motor skills and that means she could be just as good as a fencer as me…"

"Hiyah!" Ryoko cried as she lunged at her creator. Washu countered with a parry, followed by a riposte that disarmed her rebellious creation. As Ryoko's sword flew over her head the cyan-haired girl somersaulted backwards and sprang to her feet just in time to catch it by the grip. Washu turned and ran away as Ryoko chased her from the room.

When the dueling duo entered the dining room Washu jumped on top of the table to keep herself from being pinned by a piece of furniture again. Ryoko slashed at her creator's legs, but Washu was able to leap over the flashing blade. The set piece candles on the dining table showed no sign of Ryoko's blow until Washu completed her dodging jump to return to the table's surface. Then the candles fell apart to reveal the Ryoko's slash had cut them in two.

Washu kicked the salt and peppershakers sending the contents at Ryoko's face and giving her a chance to retreat before her creation's next blow. Growling in frustration Ryoko removed the white damask tablecloth with one quick yank, but once again Washu had leapt into the air, this time completing a somersault before landing on the table again. For a second both Washu and Ryoko peered quizzically at the settings on the table. Somehow, despite the fact that the tablecloth had been pulled off, all of the plates, silverware and other decorations were still at their proper places.

"Huh," Ryoko blinked twice before hopping up on the table to attack her cruel creator. "Take that you creep!" she challenged as she slashed furiously in Washu's direction.

Speaking of creeping, Mihoshi was creeping quietly down the stairs attempting to make for the front door. If she hurried she might get to town before it was completely dark outside. Suddenly she gasped as she saw Washu and Ryoko exchanging blows with weapons that Mihoshi called 'Musketeer Swords'. Washu was performing a fighting withdrawal but able to parry the blows of the taller Ryoko.

"Master!" the blonde cheered.

"_Mistress_, you idiot!"

"You're alive!" Mihoshi gushed as Washu backed up the stairs to offset Ryoko's height advantage.

"Not for long if you don't get out of my way you nitwit!" Washu growled as she retreated up the stairs and into the befuddled blonde.

"Okay master, I… Eeeyaah!" the blonde screamed as she found herself in the center of the flashing blades. She crouched down and protected her face with her hands. As the dueling damsels continued up the stairs, Mihoshi breathed as sigh of relief when she realized she wasn't harmed. "Oh thank goodness I…" her words died as she staggered to her feet and her maid's uniform fell apart. "Ooh!" she squeaked as she clutched two tattered pieces of cloth to her tanned and naked body. "I better go find something to wear!"

Upstairs, Washu dashed down the hall and used her sword to knock over a suit of armor to slow Ryoko's pursuit. Ryoko simply jumped over it and tore off after her creator. Washu ran into a study and slammed the door behind her. She ran over to try to push a bookcase in front of the door, but Ryoko knocked the door off its hinges.

"Ha!" Ryoko crowed as she entered, stepping over the fallen door.

"Why did you do that?" Washu nagged. "That door wasn't locked you idiot!

"Oops," Ryoko blushed. "Oh well. Once you're out of the way I'll get a new door. And buy a pony! Yeah, I'm totally going to buy a pony!"

"A pony?" Washu sneered. "Over my dead body!"

"That's the idea isn't it?" Ryoko smiled evilly as she raised her sword. "Time to make Washu giblets!"

"Dammit!" Washu growled as they locked blades once more. After a few parries, Washu grabbed the curtain cord with her free hand and jumped out the open window. Ryoko stepped to the window just in time to be kicked by the little genius as she used the curtain cord as a rope to swing back in.

Ryoko spun about and dropped her sword but she wasn't done yet. "Well two can play that game!" she declared as she grabbed the curtain cord and jumped out the window. The curtains and the curtain rod were yanked from the wall as Ryoko fell over backwards and rolled down the hill that was against the building. "Yaaaah!" Unlike her creator, the five-foot six-inch woman was heavier than an emaciated kindergartener. "Ow! Dammit!" Ryoko shouted as she hit the ground. She looked up just in time to see Washu shut and shutter the window.

Washu lost no time racing to the front door. Quickly, she locked and barred the main doors to keep her homicidal creation out. Gasping and panting, she quickly dashed to the servant's entrance to lock that too. Castle Washustein was once a fortress and would be able withstand a siege, even from a woman with the strength of Ryoko.

"Mihoshi!" she shouted. "Help me check the exits and windows!"

"Yes Master!" Mihoshi shouted from wherever she was.

"Mistress you fool!" Washu retorted.

In the meantime, her homicidal creation pounded her fist on the front door. "Hey! Let me in! I'm cold out here!" Ryoko pleaded.

"She's _got_ to be kidding," Washu grumbled from inside. "You'll get back in when you learn to behave!" she bellowed through the door. "Until then you can spend the night outside in the barn! That will learn you!"

"That will _teach_ me!" Ryoko's muffled voice corrected through the door.

"Whatever," Washu muttered. "The point is that you're not getting in here until you learn to curb these antisocial tendencies of yours! I didn't bring you into this world just so you could take me out of it!"

"Fine!" Ryoko shook her fist at the door. "I didn't want to live with a meanie like you anyway! I'll go stay with Tenchi! See yah!"

"Fine!" Washu shouted.

"Fine!" Ryoko shouted.

"Fine!" Washu shouted.

"Fine!" Ryoko shouted.

Three hours later…

"Fine!" Washu shouted.

"Fine!" Ryoko shouted.

"Fine!" Washu shouted.

"Fine!" Ryoko shouted.

"Excuse me!" Mihoshi called from an upstairs window. She was wearing a nightshirt and a nightcap and was holding a lit candle in a holder. "I'm going to sleep now and I was wondering if you two could keep it down for a while. Just until I go to sleep, then you can keep shouting again. Would that be okay? I'm a real deep sleeper."

"Sure Mihoshi, we were getting hoarse anyway," Ryoko sighed.

"Thank you," the blonde smiled. "Goodnight!" She closed the window and put out her light.

Ryoko sighed as she turned to walk back to town. Now that she wasn't fighting with Washu she was starting to get depressed. This was the second time she was kicked out of someone's house. She was beginning to wonder if there was anyplace that would accept her, if there were anyplace that she could call home.

Next: Little Washu 


End file.
